


Someone, I tell you, in another time will remember us

by Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Panic Attacks, The youtuber/vlogger au that no one asked for, They’re dense your honour, Trauma, beauty vlogger!Blake, fitness vlogger!Yang, idiots to lovers, suggestive content, who rants and educates while doing her makeup, who’s an adrenaline junkie and does fitness challenges
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 57,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26985931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force/pseuds/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force
Summary: In which Blake Belladonna is a beauty vlogger that spends most of her videos educating and ranting to her audience, living with her best friend and roommate Yang Xiao Long, a fitness vlogger with a fondness for insane fitness challenges.When their audience discovers that they live together, a collaboration is demanded and the two decide to go along with it.But with an audience watching her every move, how long can Blake hide her feelings for her best friend?
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 388
Kudos: 1053





	1. The Best Friend Tag

**Author's Note:**

> No one;
> 
> Absolutely no one;
> 
> The au gremlin that lives in my brain rent free; “VLOGGER AU WHEN???”

“... and that’s why the makeup industry is fucked up.” 

Blake arches a brow at her camera, smirking lightly as she blots her dark purple stained lips. A glance in her camera reveals a dramatic smokey eye that brings out the gold flecks in her amber gaze and she feels her black cat ears flick forward, feeling a familiar sense of pride in her skill set sink in. “The expectation for makeup should be zero. If you feel more comfortable with a touch of mascara or a dash of lipstick that’s fine. But there shouldn’t be this expectation on feminine presenting people to perform to fit the standards of a patriarchal society and I will die on this hill. I love makeup. I love experimenting with it and seeing what I can create… but for God’s sake, I shouldn’t be expected to wear it just to be considered conventionally attractive and neither should any of you.” Blake points her lipstick at her camera with a scowl, eyes narrowing and ears pinning back as her lips curl in distaste. “And the next man that comes into my comment section trying to tell me that I look better with natural makeup or that I should smile more is getting my heeled boot stuck up his ass. Do I look like a performance piece to you? Am I the Mona Lisa? I don’t exist just to please you with my smile! And another thing-“

Blake pauses, blinking as a woman with blonde hair pulled up into a low ponytail walks past, strong body on display thanks to her athletic shorts and tank top. She passes behind Blake’s couch, a carton of orange juice brought halfway up to her lips when she freezes and turns to look at Blake, slowly lowering the carton with a sheepish smile. 

“Oh, sorry. Were you filming, Blake?”

“I am.” Blake says, chuckling softly as she gives the camera a playful smirk. “My roommate, dear audience, is the epitome of a class act.”

“Ouch, Belladonna. You cutting me real deep right now.”

“And you’re cutting in on my shoot.” Blake turns to give Yang a teasing grin, briefly forgetting about her camera for a moment as Yang pouts at her. “I told you I was filming.”

“Sorry.”

“You’re fine.” Blake murmurs affectionately, rolling her eyes fondly as she waves Yang off, cheeks burning as Yang grins at her appreciatively. “Once I’m done, you want to grab lunch? Head out to that cafe you go feral over?”

“You read my mind.”

“I’m your best friend. That’s my job.”

Blake gives the camera an eye roll as Yang trots off, an amused chuckle falling from her lips as she shrugs.

“Roommates, am I right?”

///

You’re best friends with Sunny Lil Dragon???!!! IM DYING!!!!

Akdkdkkfkfkd! SUNNY LIL DRAGONS YOUR ROOMMATE????

NIGHTSHADE/SUNNY LIL DRAGON COLLAB WHEN?!?!

OH GOD! IF THOSE 2 COLLAB, MY POOR GAY HEART WONT SURVIVE SEEING THEM IN THE SAME VIDEO! I CAN BARELY COPE HUST SEEING ONE!

AND THEY’RE ROOMMATES??

OH MY GOD! THEY’RE ROOMMATES!

PLZZZZZ COLLAB!!!

Best friend tag?? BEST FRIEND TAG?

Wait… they live in the same house? I didn’t even know they lived in the same state!

Blake arches a brow as Yang reads off some of her comments, smirking as her friend gives her a sheepish smile. “How did they not know that we’re roommates and best friends before this?”

“We’ve never been on each other’s channels. Though I am surprised nobody’s picked up on the fact that we share the same house.” Blake says, vaguely amused by her followers’ reactions to her and Yang’s living situation. “There’s a lot of desperation for a collab.”

“I mean… Sunny Lil Dragon’s up for it if NightShade is.” Yang’s sheepish smile turns into a playful grin and she waggles her brows at Blake, a pleased look entering her eyes when Blake hides a giggle with her hand. “What do you say? Wanna finally collab?”

Blake sighs, shaking her head fondly. She never could say no to Yang. “Sure. How do you feel about the best friend tag?”

“We can do that on your channel. Yours is slightly more chill than mine… physically chill, that is.” Yang adds, smirking at Blake, who merely shrugs. 

She has no shame about her content. If she gets fired up, then so be it. 

“But for mine… how do you feel about a yoga challenge? We can film yours this week and mine the next.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

///

“Hey, guys. Unfortunately, today won’t be a rant and get ready with me video.” Blake sighs, giving her camera an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry but you’re going to have to deal with this fool.”

“Helllloooooo!” Yang sings as she springs over the back of the couch and lands on Blake’s right. She grins, winks and throws the camera a pair of finger guns before leaning over and pulling Blake into a tight hug, squishing her cheek against her own. “Aww! It’s Sunny Lil Dragon and NightShade’s first collab!”

“I regret moving in with you.” Blake mumbles, her voice muffled and distorted thanks to Yang squishing their cheeks together. She pushes at Yang’s chest, grunting as she finally falls from Yang’s grasp and onto her cushions. “Why am I even friends with you?”

“Oh, please. You love me.”

“Unfortunately for my sanity.” Blake deadpans, turning away to hide a small smile. Her ears flick nervously and she turns back to the camera with a small half smile, shrugging. “You guys asked for a collab so… here we are-“

“With the best friend tag!” Yang interjects, reaching out to poke Blake’s cheek repeatedly. “Because you’re my best friend-eep!”

Blake mimes a bite at Yang’s finger and earns a squeal of surprise, baring her teeth when Yang gives her an offended look. “Careful, Yang. I bite.”

“Kinky.”

“... please don’t say that shit. People are going to get weird and start shipping us.”

“Like you could ever afford what I’ve got to sell.”

“I can afford a dollar, Yang.” Blake giggles when Yang gasps in playful outrage. It’s all in good fun and both young women know where their boundaries lay so she knows Yang’s not truly mad when she growls and pulls her into a gentle headlock, playfully ruffling Blake’s hair, careful to avoid her sensitive cat ears. “I’m kidding! You know you’re priceless to me.”

“Now they’re really gonna ship us, you sap.” Yang laughs softly as she pulls away and gives Blake an affectionate glance, her lips tilting into a lopsided smile that makes Blake’s heart flutter.

You’d think that after two years of being best friends and roommates she’d be used to it by now but nope. Blake hadn’t been able to get over Yang in that timeframe.

“Um… right. So… the best friend tag. Should we get to it?”

“I think so.”

////

How and when did we first meet?

“Short answer? We were roommates in college, got on well and went our separate ways for a few years after a fight that was my fault.” Blake says, laughing sheepishly as she gives the camera an awkward smile before turning to Yang. “That’s… a video in of itself, though.”

“Hey, we found each other again. And look at us now!” Yang says as she curls an arm around Blake’s shoulder and butts their heads together gently as Blake leans into her side with a small sigh. “Back together and closer than ever, right? We both had some shit to sort out in our heads.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess we did.”

///

What was your first impression of me?

“Can I be honest?”

“Sure.”

“I thought you were hot.” Yang says shamelessly, smirking as Blake chokes on her water, blindly reaching out to bat at Yang’s shoulder. “What? I’m gay! I was eighteen! You being a hottie was the first thing I noticed!” Yang pauses, snorting and rolling her eyes. “The second was that you’re a little shit because you sassed me within minutes of knowing me.”

“You’re an ass.” Blake huffs, breathing in deeply as she glares at Yang, who merely shrugs, still shameless. “I honestly thought that you were going to be this annoying, party hungry jock.”

“I am a jock, though.”

“You have a masters in engineering. It cancels out, you nerd.”

“Hey!”

///

Favourite memory together?

The two women glance at each other with matching smirks, lilac and amber twinkling mischievously before they look at the camera and answer together;

“Our first bar fight.”

“And yes, that does mean that we’ve been in multiple.” Blake chuckles softly, curling her legs underneath her as she gives Yang a fond glance, biting her lip as Yang giggles lightly.

“We got into one the other week. This asshole wouldn’t stop touching my hair and when I punched him, he set his buddies on me.” Yang huffe, crossing her arms and pouting at the camera before grinning, turning to meet Blake’s happily. “Fortunately, I had my best girl with me and we kicked ass!”

Blake laughs softly, reaching over to swat Yang’s shoulder softly, her smile soft and fond.

///

Describe each other in one word.

“Strength. Yang is strength. In body, mind and spirit.” Blake says immediately, before Yang even finishes reading the question. “Yang has… gone through so much. But each time she rises up and powers through and shows me that no matter what I go through, I can always do better in the morning.”

“You really think so?” Yang asks, voice small and filled with awe as she watches Blake, her smile surprisingly shy. She tucks her hair behind her ear and glances away before looking back, expression slightly unsure.

“I know so.” Blake says softly, reaching over to squeeze Yang’s hand affectionately. She feels heat creep up her neck as Yang brushes her thumb along the back of Blake’s hand, her smile soft and warm before she glances up at Blake.

“I think… I think that you’re freedom.” Yang says warmly and Blake feels her heart melt. 

They both know that, with Blake’s past, freedom means so much more than any of their viewers realise. But Blake knows and to hear Yang associate something that Blake considers so important with her… it means a lot.

“Thank you.” She mouths silently, gaze gentle as she turns back to her phone.

///

Nickname?

“I like to call Yang sunshine or sweetheart because they never fail to make her blush.”

“You’re also the only one that can get away with it.” Yang grumbles, her cheeks tinting pink as Blake grins over at her cheekily. “You abuse that power.”

“It’s not my fault that you’re cute when you get all flustered, sweetheart.” Blake teases, giggling when Yang whines at her. “What do you call me?”

“I either call Blake by her last name or I call her bumblebee because she’s scared of bees and I like the irony of giving her a nickname of the thing she’s scared of.”

Blake shrugs at the camera. She can’t deny it. There’s already several compilations of her getting scared of bees at this point.

///

What’s my biggest fear?

“Oh.” Yang says, glancing at Blake for a moment, chewing her lip thoughtfully. “You’re scared of storms.” 

Blake flinches, relaxing as Yang subtly leans closer to her. They both know the reality of why but that’s a video for preferably never, she thinks to herself.

“And you’re scared of spiders despite jumping from cliffs on a regular basis.”

“I’ll take any cliff over a spider.”

“What about a cliff full of spiders?”

Blake giggles as Yang groans and hides her face in Blake’s neck, squeezing her tightly as though that act alone will keep all of the spiders at bay.

///

What do you admire most about me?

“... am I allowed to say-“

“I swear to God, Yang, if you say my ass-“

“Hey! Do you have any idea how jealous I am?! It takes work to look this good and this you come along like you were sculpted by the fucking Gods!” Yang yelps indignantly, glaring at Blake playfully. “How am I supposed to get a girlfriend if every woman I meet instantly becomes a part of the Blake Belladonna harem?”

“I don’t have a harem!”

“Weiss, Sun, Ilia, Velvet and even Nora and Pyrrha have all admitted to having a crush on you at one point or another. Still don’t know how Weiss got Pyrrha to admit it, though.” Yang says, smirking as Blake’s cheeks darken. “C’mon, dude. Your futch ass has a harem. Just admit it.”

“Up your shut fuck!” Blake mutters, lifting the collar of her oversized shirt to hide her burning cheeks.

“I have always wondered why you never dated any of them… except for Sun.”

“Don’t bring up Sun.” Blake groans, tucking her head into her shirt to hide like a turtle. “That was a disaster.”

“You still need to turn that into a storytime.”

“Not until I get permission from the boys.”

“Okay. Serious, not teasing Blake about being a heartbreaker without even trying answer.” Yang chuckles softly, winking playfully at Blake as she peeks out of her shirt to glare at Yang. “What do I admire most about Blake? Welp… there’s a lot of things. How kind she is. How she always puts before herself, even sacrificing her own needs at times which is so fucking infuriating for the people that love her dumb ass.” Yang growls playfully, poking Blake’s ribs and drawing a squealing laugh from her. “Um… but what I admire most is how brave she is. You guys see how passionate she is all the time but you only get to see a small portion of the woman Blake really is. She’s the bravest person I know and she pushed through so much bullshit to get to where she is now. She’s… tenacious. She inspires me to be brave and bold every day.” Yang’s voice grows softer, her gaze more tender as she rests her hand over Blake’s and smiles at her. “She makes me wanna face my fears too.”

“What the fuck, Yang?” Blake says with a weak laugh, shoving Yang playfully, turning away to wipe her eyes carefully so as to avoid smudging her eyeliner. “How the hell am I supposed to follow that up?”

Yang shrugs, grinning lazily as she leans back against the couch with crossed arms, arching a brow as though daring Blake to try.

Blake snorts, rolling her eyes with a soft smile. “Your abs, obviously. You could turn those things into a washboard.” Blake says teasingly, giggling when Yang frowns in confusion before nudging her with her knee in gentle, playful admonishment. “Okay, sorry. Couldn’t help myself. So… what I admire about Yang is how recklessly kind she is. She’s so genuine, so sweet and so… gentle that it’s incredibly easy to feel at home with her. It’s easy to feel safe with her. She’s so much more than the meathead that does the most stupid fitness challenges she can find. She’s the most emotionally intelligent person I know and I’m incredibly lucky to call her my best friend and roommate.”

“Oh. That’s it. Come here, you.” 

Blake laughs as Yang tackles her in a hug, burying her face into Blake’s shoulder as Blake gives the camera a small shrug before hugging Yang back tightly. 

Suffice to say… that video did very, very well.


	2. The Yoga Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Blake and Yang bend over backwards for their viewers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poses used in this chapter listed below;
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/FLrgmioGSAso5gXW8
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/93qJtwE3E53KWXxG8
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/GWuMBfbnzghV5BbaA

_ Fuck me! Why are they both so fucking hot?! _

_ Uh… am I the only picking up on the gay? _

_ GAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY _

_ I ship it! _

_ God, I love for their banter!! _

_ Is Sunny Lil Dragon flirting? Are they just friends? WHY ARE GAY FRIENDSHIPS ON YOUTUBE SO HOMOEROTIC?? I CAN’T TELL IF THEURE PLAYINH OR FLIRUGN! _

_ Oh my gooooooood! They’re so soft!! Even if if they’re just friends, I stan their relationship! _

“... wow.”

“Yep.”

“This is your fault.” Blake says, smirking as Yang looks up from her breakfast with an offended expression, spoon resting in her mouth as she lets out an indignant whine. “You made that comment about my ass and mentioned several times how hot I am.”

“You compared my abs to a washboard!”

“But at least they seem to like it.” Blake says thoughtfully as she scans her comment section, giggling softly as yet another commenter “screams in gay.”

“True.” Yang says with a soft sigh, wincing as she rolls out her shoulders. The fitness vlogger has decided that climbing up the rocky cliffs in the Emerald Forest was a good idea and was now extremely sore for the fact. “We still on for filming that yoga challenge tomorrow?”

“As if you’re getting out of it just because you’re a little sore.” Blake teases, reaching over their table to poke Yang’s nose, laughing softly when her friend bats at her hand grumpily. “We can give it a miss if you’re not feeling it, though.”

“Pfft. Please. I’ve got this in the bag, bumblebee.”

“I still hate that nickname.”

“But you love  _ me.” _

Blake rolls her eyes and brings her cup of tea to her lips, lowering her gaze and hiding the smile that grows.

She really did, didn’t she?

* * *

“Helllooooo!”

Blake stands in their backyard off screen and muffled her laugh as Yang backflips into the viewfinder, landing on her hands and pushing up onto her feet and winking cockily at the camera. She’s wearing a pair of sweatpants and a sports bra, the ensemble leaving room to admire the physique that she works so hard on.

Blake certainly isn’t about to complain about that, though.

“So… I hear that you guys have been wanting me to do another challenge with somebody. Last week, my guest was my high school buddy Jaune and you saw how well that went. Vomit boy just couldn’t keep up.” Yang laughs, though there’s no cruelty in her words, just an easy fondness for her friend that Blake finds adorable. “But I’ve got somebody here that will give us a real show.”

Blake arches a brow as Yang walks off screen towards her, her smirk growing bigger the closer she gets. She grins when she’s toe to toe with Blake and, before Blake can say a word, she’s being thrown over Yang’s shoulder with an indignant squeal that she  _ knows  _ was caught on camera. “Yang!”

“Say hello the one and only NightShade!” Yang crows happily, plopping Blake onto the grass with a delighted grin before she stands and gives her a foul look, brushing down her yoga pants and sports bra in an attempt to get loose bits of grass off. “What do you think, Belladonna? You ready to show ‘em how it’s done?”

“You haven’t told them what we’re doing yet.”

“...I haven’t?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Yang blinks, turning to the camera with a sheepish laugh. “Right. Today, Blake and I are doing that couples yoga challenge thing despite not being a couple. We’re still gonna kill it!”

“If you don’t kill me of boredom first.”

Blake smirks as Yang slowly turns to her, eyes squinting at her irritably before stalking forward and taking up the camera and whining at it. “Do you see what I have to put up with?”

“Yeah, being a loser is a tough gig.”

“Excuse me for a moment.” 

Blake’s darting off with an amused laugh as Yang lets out a playful shout of outrage, chasing after her despite her own laugh leaving her throat.

* * *

“... I’m definitely bottom.”

“Oh, Yang. Sweetie… we been knew.”

“I can and will throw you into my pool.”

“ _ Our _ pool. I pay half the rent.” Blake drawls lazily as she stares at the photo on Yang’s scroll, scrunching up her nose. “I know that most athletes have a degree of flexibility but holy hell, Yang. Can your back bend like that?”

“I did martial arts as a kid. I should be able to manage.” Yang’s murmurs, bouncing in place slightly, though Blake can see her wincing slightly.

She can’t blame her. One of the women is bent over backwards, feet flat on the floor with her forearms braced underneath her head with her palms pressed together. It’s hardly the most comfortable looking position and it’s made worse by a second woman balancing all of her weight on the first woman’s hips. The second woman’s hands are braced in the first woman’s hips, with her legs held out straight in front of her. 

It reminds Blake a little of leap frog… just far more painful.

“Okay. We got this. We totally got this.” Yang says loudly as she throws her scroll onto a nearby chair. She turns to Blake with a grin and gestures to the yoga mat in front of them. “If I can teach Jaune to climb a rock wall, then we can do this.”

“Isn’t her enthusiasm adorable?” Blake asks the camera, grinning lazily as Yang shoots her glare. She pauses, an evil thought crossing her mind that she can’t resist. “But yes. We should definitely give it a go… so bend over for me, would you?”

Yang’s cheeks slowly darken and she turns to give Blake a foul look, her lilac eyes narrowing as she raises a hand to point a finger at Blake. “Not funny.”

“Oh, I’m hilarious. What do you guys think? Am I funny? Yang doesn’t appreciate my sense of humour.” Blake pouts at the camera, dropping her ears sadly and jutting out her bottom lip. “She’s so mean to me.”

“Hey! Don’t turn my audience against me!” Yang yelps, pulling Blake into a gentle headlock and gently ruffling her hair. “You’re such a gremlin!”

“You love me.”

Yang snorts. “Unfortunately for my sanity. C’mon. Let’s get this show on the road.”

Blake watches her friend mimic the pose, hiding an amused smile as she lets out a loud and indignant groan when she arches her back. Blake allows herself a moment to admire Yang, silently appreciating the toned muscle of her stomach and admiring the flex of her strong arms. 

“Alright. Hop on up here.”

Blake blinks, clearing her throat to dispel the mental imagery that conjures up and carefully braces her hands on Yang’s hips, testing her weight gently. She glances at Yang, waiting for her to nod before leaning her weight on her friend and slowly lifting her weight onto her hands. She brings her legs up and grits her teeth as her weight now rests on her arms and Yang’s hips. 

“Holy fuck, this sucks. It sucks but we’re doing it!” Yang cheers weakly through a pained groan.

Unfortunately, glancing down at Yang below her, with her head thrown back and her throat exposed and chest pressed forward is a mistake on Blake’s part. She becomes distracted, her arms going weak and sending her down onto Yang. Yang lets out a winded grunt as they hit the floor and lays there for a moment, stunned. Blake’s sent forward against Yang’s chest, her forehead laying against her collarbone as she processes what just happened. She leans up, hands braced on Yang’s shoulders, her thighs bracketing Yang’s hips and the two vloggers stare at each other for a long moment, cheeks burning before Yang lets out a laugh, followed shortly by Blake who rolls off of her friend to collapse into amused giggles.

“Okay.” Yang says, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes as she gives the camera a grin. “Next pose.”

* * *

The second image is of a woman doing the downward facing dog pose, as a second woman arches herself over the first woman’s backside and grips her own feet tightly.

“You can be on the bottom this time, Blake.”

“That’s fine. I can switch roles easily enough.”

Yang snorts, laughing and bumping Blake playfully with her hip when she giggles. Blake lets out a sigh and rolls her shoulders before bending over, palms and feet flat on the ground with her ass in the air. “I swear, Yang, if you’re smirking at the camera-“

“I’m not!”

She  _ so  _ was.

“Alright. Ready?”

“Go for it.”

Blake grunts as Yang drapes her weight over her ass, arching her back and grabbing her own feet. Blake hisses, shifting her weight slightly and letting out a pained laugh as Yang snorts. At least this time she can’t be distracted by her best friend’s body-

“Yang… you’re shifting to the right- ah, fuck!” Blake yelps, unable to warn Yang in time before they topple over, each of them landing in a heap. “Ow.”

“Shit. Are you okay, Blake?” Yang asks as they sit up, rubbing her shoulder with a small and embarrassed grin. “I think we almost had that one too.”

“I’m fine.” Blake chuckles softly, though she winces as her left hip flares painfully, an old injury making itself known. She ignores it in favour of finishing Yang’s video, though.

_ “What’s the next pose, Yang?” _

* * *

The last one seems deceptively simple. Two people standing backside to backside and bending over at their waists, gripping each other’s forearms for balance.

However, as they attempt it, Blake finds that it's much harder than she thought… mostly due to the pain in her left hip. She stumbles to the ground, holding her hip with a pained groan, mentally cursing herself for being so weak.

“I’m fine. Just an old injury acting up.” Blake murmurs, flopping to the floor as Yang turns around with concern shining in her lilac gaze. Blake holds up her hand to the camera, giving them a thumbs up. “If seeing Yang kick my ass made you laugh, give this video a thumbs up and subscribe.”

“And then go to Blake’s channel and tell her what a champ she is for putting up with my shit.” Yang says, saluting the camera with two fingers as she walks towards it. “See ya in the next challenge!” In the next instant, Yang switches the camera off and quickly jogs over to Blake, over exaggerated Internet personality gone in favour of worrying about Blake. “Shit, dude. Did I push you too far with that last one? Are you okay?”

“You’re fine, Yang.” Blake sighs, closing her eyes and swallowing thickly as painful memories flood her mind. She inhales deeply, counting to ten and pushes Adam from her mind. Her skin twitches as a warm and gentle hand presses against the scar on her hip, gently rubbing soothing circles against the burning joint. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Yang soothes, and when Blake opens her eyes, Yang’s smiling softly at her. “Buuuut… you should know by now that you don’t have to push yourself like that.”

“It’s just a bad day for hip pain. I’m fine.” Blake huffs, sitting up and wincing slightly, ears pressing against her skull irritably. “I don’t need you to coddle me.”

“I’m not. Even I have to rest when my shoulder acts up. We gotta take care of ourselves, Blake.” Yang curls an arm over her shoulders and rests her head in the crook of Blake’s neck, chuckling softly. “You really don’t back down from a challenge, huh?”

“Of course not. Where’s the fun in that?” She retorts, voice much softer than it was a moment ago. She leans her weight against Yang, letting her friend support her until the pain dies down. “I’ll go and grab a heat pack and pop a couple of Panadol.”

“You go grab the Panadol and lay down. I’ll get a heat pack for you. I need to grab one for myself, anyway.” Yang murmurs, reaching up and letting Blake’s hair down from its ponytail. Blake hums happily as she feels her friend gently run her fingers through her hair, gently freeing it from tangles and gently scratching at Blake’s scalp.

“Have I mentioned that you’re my best friend?” Blake mumbles drowsily, resting her head against Yang’s with a content sigh. “Because you are.”

“And you’re mine. Ready to move?”

“... give me five minutes?”

“Of course, Blake.” 

As Blake had spent the last two years discovering… its much harder for your demons to drag you back into the shadows when your best friend and roommate is sunshine incarnate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way... if anyone knows of any fun YouTube challenges that the girls can partake in, feel free to suggest them as I’m still doing research on that 😊


	3. Best Friend Does My Makeup Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the third video in their series, Blake and Yang decide that Yang should do Blake’s makeup.

Blake smiles around her teacup as she leans against the kitchen counter, gazing out of the window into the backyard. A giggle escapes her as Yang struggles with her tripod, finally setting it up and jumping back with a fist pump, seemingly thrilled. Blake chuckles softly, grateful to see her best friend so happy and, well, alive.

It seems like it was only a month ago that she was rushing into the ER, heart in her throat as they wheeled her best friend away for surgery instead of the year and half it has actually been. She knows that Yang struggled those first few months as she got used to her Atlas grade prosthetic. Blake remembers how her lips had curled at the sight of the synthetic skin covering it. But seeing her now, how far she’s come since that fateful car crash, Blake finds that her chest swells with pride. 

She meant it when she said Yang was strength.

Blake arches a brow as Yang lays down on her workout bench, bracing her hands against a metal leg and promptly causing Blake to choke on her tea as she lifts her body upwards onto her shoulders at a slight angle and slowly kicks her legs. Blake can see her muscles pull tight, can see the exertion on Yang’s face as she works. After a few kicks, Yang lifts her powerful body higher, continuing to elevate her legs until she’s almost vertical. 

Blake all but whimpers, her grip tightening around her mug hard enough that she has to slam it on the counter and walk away from fear of breaking it. She jogs upstairs to her bathroom and quickly splashes cold water on her burning face, groaning miserably as she leans her hot forehead against her cool mirror.

“Sappho, have mercy.” She mutters, chuckling weakly at her own joke. 

Yang was just too much sometimes.

* * *

_ AKSKSKDMDMMDKDKD! THIS WAS SO HOMOEROTIC?? IM DED??? _

_ “Bend over for me, would you?” EXCUSE ME??? MISS NIGHTSHADE?? WHAT??!! _

_ WHY THE FUCK DID BLAKE SOUND LIKE A DOM WHEN SHE TOLD YANG TO BEND OVER? _

_ “Yang, sweetie, we been knew.” did… did NightShade just call Sunny Lil Dragon a botTOM? Also… did we get confirmation that NightShade is a switch? _

_ Their friendship is goals!!! _

_ YANG! TELL BLAKE SHES FUNNY! SHE LOOKED SO SAD! _

_ BLAKES SAD FACE BROKE MY HEART! CUDDLE HER AND TELL HER SHES FUNNY! _

_ It’s literally unfair that they’re both so hot. I’m too gay for this!  _

_ Is it just me or did Blake just have a bi panic? _

_ Is NightShade okay, Yang? She looked like she was in a lot of pain after that last pose.  _

_ Okay but did y’all see Yang’s when Blake fell to the ground? She looked so worried!  _

“... my followers are calling you a dom now.”

“I mean… depends on my mood.” Blake says without missing a beat, barely looking up from her novel. She smirks as Yang huffs, playfully smacking Blake’s legs that are currently resting in her lap. “It’s sweet that they’re worried about me, though.”

“They’re torn between thirst and worry, honestly.” Yang chuckles softly, arching a brow at her scroll. “Apparently, they’re calling us “Bumblebee” because of our hair.”

“Bees haunt me everywhere I go.”

There’s a knock at the door and Yang’s quick to stand up and open it, coming back with an excited gleam in her eyes as she places a long box on their coffee table and sits on the floor in front of it. “It’s here!”

“It is?!”

“Fuck yeah, dude!” Yang says with a smirk, quickly ripping open the box and laughing softly. “I’m so excited for this. Doctor Polendina and I spent hours designing this baby. Like, if I’m going to have a prosthetic limb, I’d rather they not try to recreate my skin tone because that was just a failure and we didn’t quite leave the uncanny valley. Like, I get and respect that a lot of people prefer it to look like the rest of their bodies as much as possible but that’s not me. Besides, the one I have now was a prototype and I’m due for an upgrade.” 

She holds up her arm and Blake nods as she spots what Yang means. The synthetic skin of her prosthetic arm doesn’t match the rest of her, appearing closer to a sheet of paper than the gentle tan of Yang’s body.

“If I have to have a prosthetic, I want it to feel more like me. So…” Yang pauses as she opens the box, sitting back and staring in awe at the gold and black metal of her new prosthetic. Blake sinks to the floor, book forgotten, and gently rubs Yang’s back as her smile grows softer. 

“It does suit your dramatic flair.” Blake teases softly, smiling as Yang chuckles and leans into her. “You going to put it on?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I just need a minute.”

“Is it what you hoped for?”

“It’s more.” Yang breathes, running a hand along the cool metal and swallowing audibly. “It feels more me.”

Blake butts her head against Yang and supports her weight, more than happy to see Yang doing such a huge thing for herself for a change.

* * *

“Hey, guys. Welcome back to another video.” Blake smiles at her camera, biting back a snort at the sound of Yang shuffling behind her couch. “A couple weeks ago, I had my roommate do the best friend tag with me and since you liked her so much-“

“Hellllooooo!”

“- she’s back and this time, it’s for the best friend does my makeup challenge.”

“Yup! And can I just ask…  _ what the actual fuck, Blake?!”  _ Yang hisses, pointing at Blake’s arsenal of makeup. “I wear, like, chapstick and mascara and maybe foundation and you’ve got like… I don’t even know!  _ How  _ do you have this much makeup? You’ve got like a Sephora store up in here!”

“I like to experiment with different looks.”

“Ugh. Femmes.”

“Oh, please. You  _ know  _ I’m a futch.” Blake playfully smacks Yang’s shoulder, rolling her eyes as her friend grins. “So… have at it.”

“... now?”

“Yes.”

“Like…  _ now- _ now?” Yang says, scrunching up her face adorably and giving the makeup a suspicious glance. “Uh… can you at least tell me where to start? I can’t even see our goddamn coffee table.”

“You wear makeup. You can manage.”

“I told you; I wear a bit of foundation, a bit of mascara and chapstick. That’s the  _ most  _ I wear!” Yang retorts, turning to pout at Blake. “You  _ know  _ that you’re the one that does my fancier shit.”

“Such eloquence.”

“Up your shut fuck.”

“No.” Blake says giggling slightly as Yang groans and turns to the table in front of them, her tongue poking out in a cute blep as she focused. Blake feels her own expression soften, becoming more fond as she watches her best friend poke through the mountain of makeup. “While I’m still young, Yang.” Though, she can’t help but tease Yang a little.

“Bold words considering I’m about to be coming at your stupid, cute face with various implements of torture.” Yang deadpans before holding up a steel eyelash curler with a slightly mortified expression. “Seriously, dude, this looks something you’d find back in the Middle Ages. Like, if I went back in time and handed this to a torture dude, he’d probably use it to rip a guy’s tongue out from his mouth.”

“Yang.” Blake sighs, chuckling lightly and dropping her face into her hands. “That mental image is going to burned into my brain whenever I use it.”

“Good. Less chance of you getting hurt if you can’t use it.” Yang grumbles, though Blake can her eyes shining with mirth as she grabs foundation. “Eh, let’s just go nice and simple. You’ve already got a nice base to work with so-“

“Would you say that you’re all about that base, no treble?”

“Blake.” Yang says slowly, as she smooshes Blake’s cheeks in between her hands and leans their foreheads together, growling lightly when Blake snorts a laugh. “You, my friend, are an absolute dork.”

“You love that about me, though.” Blake says, her voice distorted by her smooshed cheeks.

“Unfortunately for my sanity.” Yang’s voice softens and she lets go of Blake’s face to brush away fly away hairs, making sure that Blake’s dark hair was free from her face. “Don’t judge too hard. You legit studied makeup when we were at school so-“

“And threw it all away because the makeup industry sucks.”

“You didn’t throw it away. You’re putting it to positive use.” Yang says calmly as she grabs a fresh makeup sponge and pointed it at Blake with a smirk. “And one day, you’re going to start your own company and be a boss ass bitch. You’ll make changes, big and small, and you’ll have the best workplace environment and you’ll make everyone else jealous because you’re just that much of a badass.”

“Stop. You’re such a goofball.” Blake murmurs, heat creeping up her neck as she gives Yang a playful shove. 

“You love it.” Yang teases back, winking playfully at her before arching a curious brow at her. “Can I touch your face and start?”

“Sure.”

“Great. Close your eyes and no peeking at the view finder. I want it to be a surprise.”

Blake snorts and does as she’s told, biting back the content sigh that threatens to leave her as Yang’s hand gently holds her jaw as she begins to apply makeup to Blake’s face.

* * *

“Huh. You know what? It’s not bad.”

“Not bad? You hear that, guys? It’s not bad! Yes! That’s huge coming from miss Beauty vlogger of the year!”

“Shut up.” Blake giggles, rolling her eyes as she continues to examine her makeup. It’s nothing fancy but it’s well done… though, she has to admit the mascara is a  _ little  _ more smudged than she would like. “You did great, Yang.”

“Your validation feeds my wounded soul.”

“You are…  _ insufferable.” _

“You love me.”

“Unfortunately for my sanity.” Blake chuckles as she glances towards her camera and shrugs. “I hope you guys enjoyed the video. Like, comment and subscribe and all that jazz. I’ll see you in the next video… which, spoiler alert, will be a storytime so stick around for that. Take care of yourselves, loves.” She smiles warmly at the camera, her brow arching as Yang flips her audience a peace sign before standing and turning the camera off.

“So… cleanup first or lunch?”

“Definitely lunch.”


	4. My Best Friend Dresses Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our beauty vlogger meets up with an old friend before she dressed up her best friend for a video.

* * *

“Hey, Sun.” Blake greets warmly, standing up on her tip toes to kiss her tall friend’s cheek. She gives a slight yelp as Sun wraps his arms around her waist tightly and lifts her up, spinning around in place as he lets out a delighted laugh.

“Blake!” He crows excitedly, planting her on her feet and grinning down at her, his monkey tail waving madly behind him as Blake steps back and smacks him with her purse. “It’s been so long!”

“It has. You and Neptune just got back from Vacuo, right?” Blake asks curiously, as she sits down at a cafe table, her ears flicking forward as Sun’s cheeks flush at the mention of his boyfriend. It brings a fond smile to her lips. Things may not have worked out between her and Sun but it did leave her with a dear friend who’s happiness she cherishes greatly. “How did it go?”

“I dunno, dude. You tell me.”

Blake blinks, confused as Sun holds up his left hand and shows her a golden engagement ring on his left hand. It takes a moment for her brain to process what she’s seeing but once she does, she grabs his hand excitedly and examines the ring eagerly. “Holy fu-  _ Neptune _ proposed?  _ Neptune?!”  _ She arches a brow at the smirk Sun gives her and tilts her head curiously. “You proposed?”

“We both proposed at the same time.” Sun snickers, blue eyes shining with mirth as Blake’s jaw drops. “Right?! We went to this  _ awesome  _ lil pizza place. A real hole in the wall sorta deal. Right as I’m about to go down on one knee, Neptune says that he can’t wait anymore and beats me to it. You shoulda seen his face when I went down on one knee too, Blake. It was  _ priceless!” _

“That’s kind of amazing.” Blake laughs, squeezing Sun’s hand and giving him a warm, affectionate smile. “I’m happy for you, Sun… but my promise still stands. If Neptune hurts you, I can and will hunt him down and make him regret it.”

“You’re terrifying when you want to be, you know that?”

“Somebody has to take care of you, you dweeb.” Blake chuckles, letting go of her friend’s hand before sighing and standing up once more. “You know what? Come here.” She murmurs, walking over to him and pulling him into a tight hug. “I’m happy for you boys. You deserve this happiness and I’ll fight anyone that says otherwise.” She says softly, squeezing his shoulders tightly before returning back to her seat.

“Aw, you do love me!”

“You’re one of my best friends. Of course I love you.” 

“Speaking of best friends that you love… I see that a certain someone has been collaborating with you a lot lately.” Sun grins teasingly, waggling his eyebrows suggestively when Blake scoffs and throws a balled up napkin at him. “You know… you’re even more smitten with her than I remember.”

“I’m not-“

“Blake. We dated for, like, six months. I know what your love sick puppy face looks like. You’ve had it bad for Yang since college.”

“Please don’t bring up college.” Blake winces, remembering those days with a painful grimace. 

“What? You and I were both figuring out our sexualities. It was neither of our faults that it made dating each other even more stressful.” Sun pauses, tilting his head and giving Blake a smirk. “You should turn that into a storytime like Yang said. Me and Neptune are cool with it.”

“I know. And it’s not like you and I are even compatible as partners anyway. I just… hate that I ended things so fucking dramatically.” Blake groans miserably, dropping her head to the table as Sun snorts a laugh. 

“We both agreed it wasn’t what was right for either of us, dude.”

“And right after, I stormed out into the pouring rain like a fucking main character in a chick-flick.” Blake grumbles irritably, glancing up at Sun and narrowing her eyes at his smirk.

“It wasn’t like a chick-flick. If it was, you and Yang would have shared a dramatic kiss before being torn apart by dramatic circumstances.” Sun says with a cheeky grin that becomes much more somber. “Instead, you just had the dramatic separation after-“

“After Adam came into my life.” Blake says softly, her jaw clenching tightly. “I really thought I had myself sorted out until he came along and fucked it all up. Worst senior year ever.”

“But! You got out! You met up with Yang and now, you’re thick as thieves! It’s, like,  _ destiny _ or something, dude.”

“Sun.” Blake admonishes through a watery laugh, shaking her head as she carefully wipes her eyes. “You’re ridiculous. Yang and I… we’re just friends and it’s going to stay that way because I doubt she feels the same way. I’m just lucky to have her in my life as I do.”

“Blake… you’re my friend and I love ya… but you’re a fucking dumbass.”

“Fuck you.”

“Nope. You had your chance, Belladonna. I guess if you liked it, you shoulda put a ring on it.”

Blake laughs, rolling her eyes fondly at her friend. She was glad that they could look back and laugh at those awkward six months of dating as they both figured out they were both bi. For as stressful as those months had been, they had also been a lot of fun and she cherishes the time she spent with Sun. Now, she gets to watch somebody she cares for plan the rest of his life with the man he had been pining over for years and Blake finds that her heart swells with pride and fondness for the man sitting across from her. 

“Hey! You know what? You should totally confess to Yang during a video! That’s like… peak romance for this generation.”

Even if said man was a pain in her ass.

* * *

_ Why are they such goals??!! _

_ Blake looks hot with makeup. Blake looks hot without makeup. Blake is just hot in general. Good to know. _

_ YANH GRSBBED BLAKES FACW! THE FOREHEAD TOUVH! ASKSNNDJDKDJ _

_ They’re so cute. I’m dying. WHY ARE THEY SO CUTE?! _

_ I THOUGJT SUNNY LIL DRAGON WAS GONNA KISS NIGHTSHADE! _

_ Okay… but for real? Yang was so tender with how she treated Blake’s face! And Blake was just…. so chill about it! Where do I find me a girl like that?! _

_ Yang’s new prosthetic looks sick as fuck! _

“It does look sick as fuck, doesn’t it?”

“Are you fishing for compliments? Is that what’s happening right now?”

“Blake. I need constant validation or I will die.” Yang says as she dramatically flops over into Blake’s lap and grins up at her. “Why else would I be a vlogger?”

“Because you have a story to share? Because you’re an adrenaline junkie that likes to show off?” Blake teases, poking Yang’s cheek and giggling when she wiggles irritably in place. 

“Yeah, well…” Yang shrugs, shifting to get more comfortable as she returns to scrolling through Blake’s comment section. “It’s better than working for Cardin’s gym. He’s such a little sleazeball.”

“He is.” Blake sighs softly, absentmindedly playing with Yang’s hair. She feels her friend nudge her head agaisnt her fingers, subtly trying to encourage Blake to scratch her scalp. “We really need to get you a girlfriend so that  _ she  _ can give you head massages instead of me.” She jokes, though the words make her chest clench painfully.

“Oh, please. Even if I did date a girl, she’d have to  _ earn  _ the privilege of touching my hair.” Yang mumbles drowsily, her scroll falling to her chest as Blake carefully runs her fingers through her hair. “You know how particular I am about that sort of thing.”

“I know.” Blake says softly, smiling and trying to ignore the sharp pang in her chest at the thought of another woman being  _ this  _ close to Yang. 

“Hey, are you up for another video for my channel?” Yang asks, a pleased groan slipping from her lips as Blake shifts to another part of her head. “I was thinking we could try that clothing swap challenge. But then… well, your shirts might not fit me so then I thought I could just have you buy five different outfits for me and I try them on.”

“That… sounds like fun.” Blake says, smiling fondly as Yang let’s out a sleepy, pleased hum. “You’re not going to fall asleep on me, are you?”

“Nuh-Uh.”

Blake rolls her eyes fondly and gently removes Yang’s scroll from her chest and throws it gently to the table in front of them before reaching to the back of the couch and grabbing a blanket to drape over Yang. She knows full well that Yang  _ will _ fall asleep if she keeps playing with her hair… 

But Blake never did have the heart to refuse her.

* * *

“So… y’all are probably wondering why we’re in the living room today… with the beautiful NightShade of all people-“

“Stop it with the shipping bait.”

“I have eyes, Blake. My being your best friend doesn’t do anything to change the fact that you’re good looking.” Yang says dryly, rolling her eyes at the camera while pointing at Blake with her thumb. “She likes to make things difficult.”

“I like to think I make things interesting.” Blake smirks, giggling lightly when Yang turns to arch a disbelieving brow at her. “And maybe a little difficult.”

“You’re lucky I love ya, you big dork.” Yang snorts, laughing softly as she bumps Blake playfully before turning back to her camera. “Anywho… this video, Blake was so kind as to buy me five different outfits and we are going to see how well she can style me. So… let’s get to it! What’s first, Blake?”

“Here.” Blake says, handing Yang a small pile of clothing, a pair of dress shoes and a tie. “I figured we can start with something a little more formal. Have fun.”

“Formal? What- Okay. I see a tie and I don’t know how I feel about that. But I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Hurry back. I’ll miss you!” Blake called out as Yang leaves, smirking playfully at the camera. 

_ “I don’t think you guys are ready for this.” _

* * *

“So… what do you think?”

As it turns out…  _ Blake _ was not ready for this. The sight of Yang wearing dress pants and shoes, with a pale yellow button down tucked into the pants was A Lot. Then there’s the fact that Yang wore a black vest over top, with a purple tie tucked into it. The whole ensemble was made worse by the fact that Yang had rolled the sleeves up, putting her strong arms on display for all to see.

“Um.”

Needless to say… Blake was floored.

“Wow.” She finally manages, ignoring the heat that creeps up her neck as her cat ears rotate forward with interest. “You- you look… you look great!”

“I kinda do, huh?” Yang says with a self-satisfied smirk as she adjusts her vest, shifting her weight to one foot and cocking a hip. “Not gonna lie, Belladonna, I am feeling this look. You done good with the first outfit.”

“I- Ye-Yeah. I guess I did.” Blake says, clearing her throat roughly and rubbing her neck as Yang continues to preen in front of the camera. “On to outfit number two?”

“Sure. Here’s hoping it’s just as good, eh?”

* * *

“Blake, bud. This is legit what I always wear.”

“Not in darker colours. You always wear yellows and oranges.”

Blake bites her lip as Yang walks in wearing a pair of knee length black cargo shorts and a dark purple muscle shirt with matching runners. Her hair is pulled up into a low ponytail and her classic aviator sunglasses are perched on her nose. She poses a little, causing her shirt to ride up and give Blake a glimpse of toned skin beneath. Somehow, a glimpse feels even more breathtaking than if she had been simply wearing a sports bra.

“You should wear dark colours more often.” Blake observes, trying to keep her voice even as Yang grins at her, lowering her glasses to look at her better. “It brings out your eyes.”

“I guess I do look good in purple.” Yang says with a nod before giving Blake an excited grin. “She’s two for two, guys! My girl knows me.” She says teasingly, draping her arm over Blake’s shoulders and sending her heart rate through the roof. “What’s next, bumblebee?”

“See… I  _ was  _ feeling guilty about this next one but now… not so much.”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Take these and find out, sweetheart.”

“BLAKE!”

“There it is.” Blake giggles as the sound of feet running through the house and a shout are heard. She just barely has time to glance at the ripped jeans and yellow flannel tied around Yang waist before her friend is tackling her in a tight hug and causing her to stumble a step. “Hi!” She chirps cheerily, snickering as Yang starts swaying them from side to side.

“You little shit.” Yang growls playfully into her neck, groaning loudly as she steps back to show the black t-shirt with a rainbow martini glass colours like a pride flag. Surrounding it is the phrase “Bottom’s up.” She watches as Yang pouts at her, though not even Yang can hide the amused twitch of her lips. “Seriously? I’m not a bottom! I’m a switch!”

“That sounds like something a bottom would say.” Blake smirks teasingly, giggling when Yang sighs and puffs out her cheeks.

“You’re getting away with this for two reasons; one, you’re my best friend and I love you even when you’re being a pain.” Yang says, tugging Blake into her side with a fond and exasperated sigh. “And two… it’s a damn good pun.”

Blake laughs, leaning into Yang’s side as she gives a good natured grumble. “Next outfit?”

“Next outfit.”

* * *

Blake can’t help the soft coo that leaves her throat as Yang steps out in a dark grey knee length skirt and black tights. She’s wearing low heels, allowing her to even more taller than Blake than the usual two inch advantage she has over over her. She wears a yellow sweater, with a pale purple button down collar poking out and her hair has been thrown up into a messy bun.

“Oh, you look cute. You look so cute!” Blake says softly, surprise making her brows arch when Yang blushes a dark red. “I know you don’t wear skirts often but you look really nice.”

“Yeah, if I’m going to go more feminine, I’m gonna go with a dress.” Yang admits, patting down her sweater and shrugging. “Usually, I wear a lot less up top too so you really got me out my comfort zone here. It’s not bad, though. Like… I could see myself wearing this during fall or something. I like it, actually.”

“I didn’t want to put you in anything that would make you uncomfortable.” Blake says with a small shrug, flushing when Yang grins at her. “But you pull this off so well.”

“Get you a girl that can do both.” Yang jokes, playfully hip checking Blake and chuckling softly. “You have one more for me, right?”

“I do.”

* * *

It’s when Yang walks out, strides long and confident, in a bright yellow dress that reaches her knees that Blake realises her mistake. The dress has a slit up one side, revealing what had turned out to be a dangerous amount of leg and the collar drops to reveal just the barest hint of cleavage. It has a low back and the fabric hugs Yang’s body  _ just  _ right. She wears a pretty purple pendent around her neck and Blake feels her mouth run dry as Yang walks up to with a very pleased grin.

“Now  _ this  _ is more my style if I’m going feminine.” Yang says with a delighted laugh. “Holy shit. We need to hit the club or something because I look  _ good, _ Blake. I would be turning heads all night long.”

“I, uh, yeah.” Blake says dumbly, shaking herself out of it and clearing her throat as she runs her hand through her hair. Her skin is burning and she’s desperately trying to keep her gaze from slipping down to admire Yang’s body. “That’s… that’s a good look for you.”

“Can I, like, pay you to style me for my TedTalks?” Yang asks, half serious and half joking as she turns to Blake. “Because you know your shit. Forget Coco Adel, Blake Belladonna’a the next big stylist in town.”

“Glad that you like it.” Blake says, before faking a yawn. “Sorry. Didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Huh? Oh! No! Don’t even worry about it. We’re done anyway. Guys? In the comments section bellow, rate Blake’s outfits.” She grins, shooting them a wink and a pair of finger guns as she approaches the camera. “Later!”

Blake’s quick to to excuse herself and go splash her face with cold water…

Which was becoming a far too frequent thing as of late.


	5. My Drunk Best Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a drunk Yang gets asked some questions and Blake just can’t stop being soft about her.

_ Okay… they need to stop being so fucking cute.  _

_ If Blake smirked at me like that, I’d let her do whatever she wanted to me. _

_ THAT FIRST OUTFIT! HOLY FUCK! SHES HOT!!! _

_ I’m very gay for Yang in a suit.  _

_ Blake seemed impressed xD _

_ Wait… isn’t purple NightShade’s favourite colour? COMSPIRACY THEORY! _

_ “Bottoms up.” MISS NIGHTSHADE PLS!  _

_ They’re like illegally cute. I want someone to buy me dumb shirts to tease me :’c _

_ Aw! Blake’s right! Yang does look really cute in that fall outfit!  _

_ Alskkdkfkf! SUNNY LIL DRAGONS BLUSH THO! SO CUTE! _

_ WOMAN HOT! WOMAN VERY HOT! HELP! _

_ Holy fucking shit! That last outfit tho! If I were Blake, I would combust. _

_ Blake’s reactions weren’t very straight. _

Blake huffs, rolling her eyes as she scrolls through Yang’s comments. She can hear Yang behind her in the kitchen, getting their breakfast read, and she can’t help but glance back and smile fondly at the sight of her best friend dancing along to their radio.

“Blake! Food’s done!”

Blake stands, stretching and making her way to the table and sitting across from Yang, who’s still in her tank top and boy shorts she wears to bed. She hands Blake an omelette, grinning up at her as she begins to dig into her own meal. “Your followers are thirsty.”

“Of course they are. They always are. You picking out some really fucking good outfits just made it worse.” Yang snorts a laugh, smirking slyly at Blake. “So… we’re still drinking tonight, right?”

“Of course. It’s a tradition, after all.” Blake chuckles, smiling when Yang gives her a pleased grin. “We need to celebrate the night that I got my best friend back.”

“You’re such a sap.” Yang laughs softly, her expression becoming more gentle as she pauses her eating to give Blake a warm smile. “But I’m glad you feel that way because I do too.”

Blake glances down at her meal to hide her smile, content to let their moment fall into a companionable silence. She still remembers that day three years ago when she finally escaped Adam’s hold with nothing more than a backpack full of clothes and a freshly stitched cut on her left hip. She remembers the storm that she had ran out into, remembers the crashing of the thunder and the downpour of the rain. She remembers the terror she felt, truly believing that Adam would find her and drag her back into his grasp.

But she also remembers stumbling into a bar, desperately needing a stiff drink and taking a glass of whisky with trembling hands. It was perhaps the first moment that Blake truly felt free, despite the pain in her hip and the fear in her heart and for the first time in a long time, she had laughed. And that was when she had heard a family voice call out her name and turned to see Yang standing behind her, lilac eyes wide with shock as she took in Blake’s appearance.

_ “You look like shit.”  _ She had said. Blake remembers the way Yang had smirked when she laughed, holding up her glass and giving her old roommate a sarcastic look as she responded with  _ “That’s what happens when you’ve been wading though enough shit for enough time, Yang. You start to resemble it.” _

Yang had laughed then, before her smile had faltered and she had bitten her lip. Worry had entered her eyes and, upon asking Blake where she was headed and getting a shrug for an answer, she had offered Blake a couch to crash on until she got herself back on her feet.

And yet… by the time she righted herself six months later, she found that she had already landed right where she wanted to be.

“Hey! If we’re getting drunk, we should totally do a “My drunk bestie” thing. You know… get drunk and ask each other questions.”

“Fine by me. But you’re getting put under the spotlight first, sunshine.”

And Blake didn’t plan on giving that place up  _ any  _ time soon.”

* * *

“Hey, guys. Welcome to the “My drunk best friend” vid-“

“Helllooooo-woah!”

Blake freezes, eyes wide as a blur of yellow goes flying over the back off the couch and rolls off the cushion onto the floor. She turns to stare at Yang, who’s now laying on her back and staring up at the ceiling, stunned and confused. “Yang?”

“Yes?”

“What in the hell made you think that was a good idea?” Blake says, wincing as Yang climbs into the couch and gives the camera a sheepish grin. “Just… oh my God. Are you okay?” She adds, not sure whether she should laugh or not.”

“I’m fiiiiiiiine.” Yang says with a toothy grin, wiggling excitedly in place as she turns to face Blake. “Let’s do this!”

“Oh God… uh… Yang is drunk and I’m going to ask her questions… if she doesn’t knock herself out first.”

“I resent- ow! I smacked myself in the face.” Yang whines, rubbing her eye where she had, in face, slapped her own face as she attempted to point at Blake. “My body doesn’t like me right now.”

“Considering the amount of alcohol you put in it, I can’t blame it.” Blake says dryly, rolling her eyes at the camera as she places a hand on Yang’s shoulder to stop her bouncing. “If you guys want to see Yang give me an interview while I’m drunk, let us know, yeah?”

“First question!” Yang chirps excitedly, turning to Blake and grinning brightly at her.

“On a scale of one to ten… how drunk are you right now?”

“Imma- I’m at a solid…seven? Maybe an eight? I dunno.” Yang says with an amused, snorting giggle. “I feel great, though.”

“Of course you do.” Blake sighs, smiling fondly at Yang as she giggles again. “Okay… say the alphabet backwards.”

“... uh…” Yang pauses, frowning in concentration and tapping her fingers against her leg as she tries very hard to focus. Blake finds herself leaning on one of her knees, finding Yang as adorable as ever. “Z, Y, X, W… um… W… V… U, T… S, Q… R… fuck. I forget what comes next… what comes before? Is-“ Yang pauses, staring blankly for a few moments before turning to Blake with a goofy, very tipsy grin. “I tried.”

“You did and you did pretty well.” Blake says warmly, biting her lip as Yang takes her hand from her back and begins to fiddle with Blake’s fingers. “You okay?”

“I’m good.” Yang grins at her and continues to play with Blake’s fingers cutely. “Next question?”

“Do your best impression of me.”

“Oh! Oh, I do a  _ great _ Blake impression, guys!” Yang says, quick and excited as she drops Blake’s hand, much to the beauty vlogger’s disappointment. Yang clears her throat and points at the camera, earning a curious look from Blake. “My name is Blake Belladonna and I’m goin’ to spend the next twenty minutes telling you why the patriarchy sucks! I’m sooooo charismatic that people listen to me! I could spur an army into action! Because I’m soooo charming!”

“That sounds nothing like me!”

“Because you’re too modest! Yang whines loudly, moving to drape her arms around Blake’s neck loosely, pouting down at her. “You’re amazin’. You know that, right?”

“Yang’s a sentimental hugger when she’s drunk.” Blake says to her camera, loosely wrapping her arm around Yang’s waist and snorting when Yang whines again. She brings her other hand up and looks at her list of questions on her scroll and turns back to her friend with a raised eyebrow. “Make up a song about my favourite food.”

“Oh.” Yang frowns in concentration, dropping her head to rest on Blake’s shoulder as she thinks before sitting up and stretching out her arms with a grin. “Got it.”

“Oh?”

“I don’t want a lot for dinner. There is just one thing I need. I don’t care about the cookies in the cookie jaaaaaar!” Yang sings loudly with absolutely no shame, despite the amused cringe that spreads across Blake’s face. “I just want fish for my own, more than you could ever know! Make my wish come truuuuuuue! Oh, all I want for dinnnneeeer is tuuuuunnnnaaaa!”

Yang finishes with her arms out and an expectant grin on her face as Blake wheezes, falling against her side of the couch and giggling behind her hand as Yang’s grin becomes very self satisfied. “Oh my God.  _ Yang!  _ You’re incredible.”

“I am pretty amazon, huh?” Yang replies cockily before blinking and frowning in thought. “Did I just say amazon?”

“Instead of amazing? Yes. Yes, you did, sweetie.” Blake laughs softly, smiling warmly as Yang shrugs. “Okay… next question… what’s the best pickup line?”

“Hey, girl. Is your name Vacuo because you’re hot.”

“Huh. Smooth.”

“Yeah… you get it? Because- because deserts are hot and Vacuo’s a desert.”

“I get it, Yang.” Blake says with a fond chuckle as Yang reaches for her hand to play with again, her fingers tracing patterns into Blake’s skin absentmindedly. “So… on a scale of one to ten, what’s your favourite colour in the alphabet?”

Yang blinks, her her fingers pausing against Blake’s skin as she turns to give Blake an adorably confused look. “Wha?”

“On a scale of one to ten… what’s your favourite colour in the alphabet? Come on, Yang. It’s a simple yes or no question.”

“... no?”

“No?”

“... yellow, maybe? I like yellow.” Yang says in a very confused voice as she frowns at Blake. “I don’t… that’s… I’m confused. Am I being dumb? Is the question being dumb? Something’s being dumb.”

“Oh my God. I am so glad we’re friends. You’re so cute.” Blake giggles, butting her head against Yang’s temple as she huffs.

“It’s a dumb question.”

“Very dumb.”

“Ask a better one this time.”

“Okay.” Blake chuckles, her gaze softening slightly as Yang happily goes back to playing with her hand. “Do caterpillars know that they’re going to become butterflies when they’re building their cocoon?”

“... no. Because it’s like… an instinct. They don’t know what the fuck they’re doin’. They just like “Hey bro! Just gonna take a nap!” and then they wake up with wings.” Yang says in a very serious tone of voice as she slumps against the couch, giving Blake a look like she expects her to agree. “Imagine going to bed and waking to a pair of wings on your back. It must be kinda scary.”

“I would… definitely be freaked out if that happened.” Blake says softly, tracing Yang’s knuckles with her thumb as Yang nods, seemingly satisfied. “Okay… So… is the s or the c in scent silent?”

“The c, obviously.”

“Why the c?”

“Dunno. Just is.”

Blake laughs, soft and fond, as she reclines back against the couch beside Yang and watches her fondly as she plays with her fingers with a sleepy smile. “Just a few more questions and we can go to sleep.”

“Can we, like, hang out for a lil bit first? After filming?”

“Sure.” Blake says softly, her heart sweeping with affection as Yang gives her a please and tired grin. “Name one thing that pisses you off about me?”

“Not much. We get on well, most of the time.” Yang mumbles, shuffling closer to Blake and resting her head on her shoulder as though it’s too heavy to keep up in her own. “But I hate how you always run head first into a wall. You’re such a workaholic and it worries me sometimes. Like… it’s super inspirational and all and it makes me want to do better too but… I dunno. I’ve seen you forget to eat and drink for days on end before and it scares me.”

“I’m better than I used to be.”

“Yeah. You are. I’m really proud of you.”

Blake swallows hard, her heart melting as Yang’s words pierce her chest. It’s moments like these when Yang unknowingly makes it hard to get over her. Makes it hard to not fall even more in love with her. “Um.” She says quietly, clearing her throat when her words come out slightly choked. “Last question so let’s end it on a fun one. If you were an animal… what would you be?”

“A dragon.”

“Do dragons count?”

“Yes, dragons count!” Yang says, pulling back from Blake. She looks and sounds thoroughly insulted and Blake has to try not to smile. It’s hard to take Yang seriously when she’s half asleep like this and pouting. “Dragons so count!”

“Okay… can you imitate one for me?”

“... uh… Raow?” Yang says, sounding far more like a kitten than a dragon as she drops Blake’s hand to make claws at her. “What? Why are you laughing?”

“You… are  _ so  _ fucking adorable.” Blake giggles fondly, smiling apologetically when Yang whines at her. “Right. Well… I think Yang and I are going to hang out for the rest of the night before going to sleep.”

“We should play cards. I bet I can kick your butt, even when I’m tipsy.”

“Sure, Yang.” Blake chuckles softly before turning to camera and giving it a friendly smile. “See you in the next video, guys.”

Very quickly, the camera is switched off and she sets up a movie for her and Yang to fall asleep to. She can feel the smaller amount alcohol she had consumed really begin to take affect as she and Yang curl up next to each other, content to just quietly watch a movie together. When Yang dozes off, She’s quick to drape a blanket over her and, upon ensuring that she’s asleep, place a gentle kiss to her forehead before making her way to her own room, rubbing her face and sighing wearily at herself.

Blake Belladonna knows she’s in deep. The question is… can she get herself out? Or is she doomed to continue to fall?


	6. My Drunk Best Friend, Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we get to see things from Yang’s perspective as she talks about accepting strength when you’re too tired to stand.

_ I guess you could that Yang really FELL for Blake. _

_ Sunny Lil Dragon has the cutest drunk giggle! _

_ Can we just talk about how soft these two nerds are? Like Blake just watching Yang with the sweetest smile as she recites the alphabet? PRECIOUS! _

_ Yang will see an opportunity to praise Blake and throw herself into it. _

_ YANG WAS CUDDLING UP TO BLAKE FOR A MOMENT! They looked so cute :’D _

_ Did Yang just make a “All I want for Christmas” parody about tuna? _

_ God. Every time Yang plays with Blake’s fingers, I just fucking die. Blake watches her with the softest expression and it’s just too sweet! _

_ That wweird question confused Yang so badly. You could see the gears in her head scream to halt. To be fair… I’m sober and blanked out xD _

_ Yang’s lil roar was the cutest thing ever!  _

_ They’re so soft :’) _

She places her scroll back in her pocket and walks out on stage.

“Hey, everyone! So… I guess I’m here to be, like, super inspirational or whatever.” Yang says, shoving her hands into her vest pockets and shrugging as the crowd in front of her laughs quietly. She shifts a little on stage, glancing towards a familiar face off stage and smiling softly when Blake gives her a thumbs up. “For those of you that don’t know who the hell I am… my name is Yang Xiao Long. I’m a fitness vlogger on YouTube and I do some of the most insane challenges possible. I’m an adrenaline junkie and I love taking people along for the ride because not everyone  _ can,  _ be it because of a physical or mental condition or they just can’t bring themselves to be as nuts as I am.”

She leans forward slightly as the audience laughs again, smiling down at her feet and inhaling deeply before bringing her right hand up. “I’m also an amputee. Hey, c’mon. No coos of pity, please. I’ve seen enough of that over the past year and a half.” She chuckles, flexing her hand and letting the stage lights bounce off of the gold metal of her arm. “Over a year ago… I was taking my car out for a drive. My best friend and roommate was catching up with an old buddy and I was bored so… I went out. I come to this set of lights and when they turn green… I moved forward. Unfortunately, some moron in a truck decided to run a red light and slammed into my side of the car and caused one hell of an accident. I… don’t remember much after that, honestly. Next thing I know, I’m waking up in a hospital bed with my best friend sitting across from me. Funnily enough… my first thought wasn’t about me. It was me wondering who the hell made my best friend cry like that. Seriously!” She laughs lightly, shaking her head and rubbing a hand through her hair. “I was ready to fight somebody. It took me a moment to realise that the lower part of my right arm was missing.”

Yang clears her throat roughly and adjusts her blazer, biting her lip as the audience shifts in their seats. “If you’re expecting some miracle story where I made leaps and bounds within a month, you’re not getting it. Those first few months… I wasn’t okay. I really wasn’t. I was angry and bitter and I felt like I lost a huge part of who I was. It took a long time to get past that. My friends and family were with me every step of the way, though. My sister did her best to make me laugh, even when I was, pardon the expression, an utter bitch. My dad and uncle never stopped pushing me, despite the fact that I just wanted to stay in bed. My friends… they never stopped looking at me the way they always had. It was like… they looked at me… and they still saw me. They didn’t just abandon me like I was scared of them doing, y’know? I actually remember, late one night, I was talking with my best friend after going to rehab that day to learn how to use my first prosthetic, and I said  _ something  _ that made her laugh. She reaches over with this amazing, stupid grin on her face that makes  _ me  _ laugh and she squeezes my prosthetic hand, just like she always had before my accident. Then… she stops laughing and I see this heartbreaking expression cross her eyes and she stands up and pulls me into the  _ tightest _ hug she can and she just… holds me. She says to me… she says “I love you.” and for whatever reason, that breaks the dam and I cry. For the first time, I really and truly cry. I spent so long trying to be tough and strong. Trying to not lean on anybody because I was so scared of being seen as weak that I forgot something I once told her.” 

The crowd falls silent as Yang smiles at them, her throat growing tight as she remembers holding a sobbing, heartbroken Blake in her arms. “There is no weakness in accepting someone else’s strength when you’re too tired to stand. I want you to remember that because I forgot it until she reminded me.  _ There is no weakness in accepting someone else’s strength when you’re too tired to stand.  _ Every single one of us is far stronger than we realise but we can’t do everything on our own. We shouldn’t  _ have  _ to do it on our own. So many people claim that you’re only strong if you can make it alone. But what I’ve realised is that there’s a far greater strength found in love and community. You have no idea how… comforting it was to come back home, collapse on my couch and let my best friend support me when I needed her, just like I do for her. We support each other, really. Just like the rest of our friends and family do. There is no shame in needing help. There is no weakness in accepting someone else’s strength when you’re too tired to stand… because one day, you’ll be able to lend yours to someone else too.” She pauses, blinking back tears and sighing softly. “I admit… that she may not have saved me. I probably would have found my way back up again, even without her little reminder. But I will also say that having people to lean on helped a lot. No matter what you’re going through, you are  _ not  _ alone. You don’t have to  _ be  _ alone. There are so many people and services that can help you and there is no shame or weakness in accepting their strength until you’re ready to stand on your own. You are… worth so very much and are so very loved, even when you think you’re not. Thanks for listening, guys. Have a good night.”

The crowd applauds and Yang bows with a small grin and walks off stage, switching off her mic just in time for a body to slam into her own, strong, lithe arms wrapping around her neck and pulling her into a tight hug.

“I am so fucking proud of you.” Blake whispers into her ear, as Yang pulls her into a tight hug. 

“Thanks, Blake.” Yang murmurs, burying her face in the crook of her best friend’s neck and inhaling deeply, letting the familiar, soothing scent that was so uniquely  _ Blake  _ wash over her. 

_ Supporting each other. _

Yes, that was a very good way to put it. Ever since they reunited that fateful night years ago, they have been reforming the bond that had been broken and creating a friendship that was stronger than any Yang has ever known before. The trust and care that she and Blake share, the mutual respect and support, the strength and courage they offer and accept from one another… it’s something that Yang thinks is so very rare, something that she treasures with all of her heart and soul.

It’s a friendship that she won’t jeopardise… no matter how in love with Blake she is. 

* * *

“Hellloooo!” Yang grins at her camera, just as Blake sits beside her and rests her head on her shoulder sleepily. “Guess what we’re doing? It’s time for a drunk Blake to be questioned!”

“Whoop.” Blake mumbles unenthusiastically, curling her arms around Yang’s left bicep and blinking at the camera. “I’m never this drunk usually.”

“Eh, depends on what you’re celebrating.” Yang chuckles, her cheeks heating up when Blake grumbles and nuzzles into her shoulder. “Blake is  _ extremely  _ cuddly and affectionate when she’s drunk.”

“I am.”

“We have this one friend named Weiss, right? The first time Blake used her as a pillow, I thought the poor girl was going to combust.” Yang snickers, remembering how bright red their friend had gotten that night. “I will say that you only snuggle up to people you feel comfy with. It’s pretty adorable, actually.”

“If I trust you, I use you as a pillow.” Blake mumbles, scooting closer to Yang and pressing against her side. “That’s why I cuddle up to you so much. I trust you the most.”

“You’re killing me with cuteness.” Yang sighs, smirking and trying to play it off, despite wanting nothing more than to crush Blake in a tight hug. “So… ready for your interview?”

“No. But do go on.”

“On a scale of one to ten, how drunk are you right now?”

“Like… maybe an eight.”

“Eh, not bad, not bad.” Yang says, her lips twitching as Blake wiggles even closer to her. “On a scale of one to ten, how important is our friendship to you?”

“What the fuck kind of question is  _ that?!” _ Blake all but yells, sitting up and glaring at Yang indignantly, black cat ears pressing against her skull as she gives Yang a thoroughly insulted look. 

“I don’t-“

“No, shush. I can’t just- I can’t just measure our friendship on a one to ten scale! That’s not- not enough!”

“It’s not enough?”

“It’s not enough.” Blake huffs, crossing her arms and  _ pouting _ angrily, looking far too cute for Yang’s own good. “You can’t put a number on something that valuable.”

“Oh my God. You’re too sweet.” Yang laughs, curling her arms around Blake’s shoulders and tugging her into her side. “You get fired up so easily, though.”

“Things shouldn’t be so stupid, then.”

“Okay… next question.” Yang scrolls through her list before nodding and turning to Blake, grinning softly when Blake smiles back at her. “I want to hear your best impression of Weiss.”

“Um… exc _ uuuuse me?  _ What’s that supposed to mean?” Blake says in a very high pitched, very dramatically outraged voice. “I am an  _ heiress!  _ My father will hear of this, you- you ruffian scoundrel!”

“Okay.” Yang snorts a laugh, giggling as Blake lifts her nose into the air with an indignant sniff. “Okay. That’s good! Weiss is going to kill you for that, though.”

“Weiss fucking loves me. She sat in my lap at the last Schnee ball… though I think she mostly did that to spite her parents.” Blake tilts her head, a slow smirk crossing her features as she huffs a soft laugh. “It was pretty funny seeing old man Schnee nearly explode with fury over his heir sitting in the lap of the daughter of his biggest competitor, though.”

“I wish I had taken a photo.” Yang grins, her expression softening as Blake wiggles back into her side. “So… What goes up but never comes down?”

“Your ego.”

“No, you ass. Age!” Yang growls playfully, wrapping Blake up in a tight hug and squishing her. “No, do not derive enjoyment from this! This is a hug of punishment!”

Blake merely hums happily and snuggles closer, seemingly content with her “punishment.” Yang sighs, rolling her eyes fondly. She really should have know that a drunk Blake would enjoy a bear hug like that. “Next question is… can you spell preposterous?”

“P-R-E-P-O-S-T-E-R-O-U-S.”

“... how did you manage to fucking spell preposterous while drunk?”

“Because I’m amazing?”

“You are.” Yang agreed fondly, butting her head against Blake’s and gently rubbing her bicep affectionately. “John’s mum has three kids; Dinner and Lunch... what’s the third kid’s name?”

“That’s easy; Breakfast.”

“No. It’s John.”

“... ah. So it is.” Blake mutters, dropping her head tiredly against Yang’s shoulder and tucking her feet underneath her to lean her weight fully against Yang. “I think I’m at a nine now.”

“Not too much longer now, bud. Have I ever gotten you a gift that you didn’t like but pretended to like anyway?”

“You got me that really dumb hat. The one that says women want me and fish fear me.”

“That’s an awesome hat!”

“You gave it to me in front of my mother. She kept on putting stuffed fish toys in my room for a month afterwards.”

“Oh.” Yang bited back a laugh, the mental image of a frustrated Blake dealing with a mountain of fish studies proving to be an amusing one. “Alright. Fair enough. Next question is… can say she sells seashells by the seashore three times fast?”

“She sells seashells by the seashore. She shells seasells by the seasore. She sells cecils by the cecils.” Blake responds, before sitting up and blinking sleepily. “Cecils by the cecils? Ugh.”

“You did great.” Yang snickers, smirking as Blake slumps against her again. “Why do they call it a driveway when you don’t drive in it? You just park in it, not drive.”

“Because language is full of fuckery. Lots and lots of stupid fuckery.” Blake grumbles, ears pressing irritably against her head. “And not the fun kind of fuckery either. The annoying kind.”

“Okay.” Yang bites her lip to stop herself from laughing. Blake was too much sometimes, honestly. “Last question; where do you see yourself in five years?”

“I dunno. It’d be nice to have my own company, if I don’t go to work with my family.” Blake says quietly, nuzzling against Yang’s neck as her voice grows more and more quiet and slurred, indicating that she’s slowly drifting off to sleep. “I do know one thing, though.”

“What’s that?”

“I know that you’ll still be my best friend.” Blake mumbles, just before she falls asleep against Yang, completely oblivious to the gentle coo that leaves Yang’s lips.

“Alright. Well… that’s it, guys. I’m going to shoo this one to her room and I’ll see you in the next one. Later.”

Yang gently lays Blake down on the couch and quickly turns her camera off before kneeling by her best friend and brushing her hair from her face. “Hey Blake? You gotta go to your room to sleep, buddy. Trust me… as comfy as that couch is, you’ll still get a sore back tomorrow if you stay there.” Yang murmurs softly, swallowing thickly when Blake lets out a whine in her sleep and leans into her hand as it passes her cheek. Absentmindedly, Yang cups Blake’s jaw and brushed her thumb against her cheek tenderly, chest swelling with affection as Blake smiles softly in her sleep. “Alright.” She whispers to herself. She doesn’t have the heart to wake Blake up so she carefully picks her up and carries her to Blake’s room and places her in bed, tucking her in and tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear before placing a soft kiss to her cheek and heading to pack up her gear with a weary sigh.

When it comes to Blake Belladonna… Yang Xiao Long is completely in over her head.


	7. Chapstick Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which both comfort and mistakes are made.

_ Omg!! NIGHTSHADE IS SUCH A CUDDLE MINSTER! _

_ “You’ll still be my best friend.” Um… excuse me. I need to go cry now. _

_ Blake is baby. _

_ Like… I know we’re all losing our shit over how ducking cute Blake is… but can we just talk about how feisty she got when Yang DARED to ask her to put a number on the value of their friendship? She was SO fucking offended xD _

_ “Language is full of fuckery.” Miss NightShade is right and she should say it.  _

_ Listen… NightShade is the kind of woman that I am immensely attracted to but completely intimidated by. Like… she could step on my throat and I’d apologise and clean her boots for her. But holy shit… I never would have thought that she is this snuggly. It’s really cute, actually. _

_ NightShade; Can, will and has smacked a bitch _

_ Also NightShade; MIST SNUGGLE THE BFF!! _

_ They are both suffering from a chronic case of Baby. It’s unfortunately incurable. They are doomed to be cute as fuck forever.  _

_ EXCUSE ME! THAT IMPERSONATION WAS IMMEMSELY INACCURATE! I DO NOT SOUND LIKE THAT, YOU DOLTS! WAIT UNTIL I VISIT YOU NEXT WEEK! _

Blake huffs out a small laugh as Yang sits beside her on her bed and reads off some of her comments from her last video. She bites her lip as she focuses on painting her nails black, humming softly as Yang giggles. 

“I told you Weiss was gonna kill you.”

“Weiss is tiny. I can pick her up by the scruff of her neck like a misbehaving kitten and keep her there until she calms down.”

“I could tell her you said that.”

“Feel free. It’s nothing I wouldn’t say to her face.” Blake smirks as she finishes her nails, letting them dry before placing her gear away and turning to face Yang at last. She pauses, brows pinching together as she observes the dark circles under her best friend’s eyes, notices how lilac seem almost dimmed by pain. She swallows, hard, and reaches out a hand to guide Yang’s face to look at her, fingers gently gripping her chin. “You okay? You… don’t look well.”

“I’m-I’m fine. Just-“ Yang falters when she finally makes eye contact with Blake, her voice hitching slightly when Blake arches a disbelieving brow. She sighs and pulls back from Blake, moving to sit up against her headboard and lets her head fall back against it with a dull thunk. “It’s just… always a little hard, y’know? Talking about what happened. It’s like… I dunno. Reliving it all over again.”

“You’ve been having nightmares again.” Blake says simply, guilt gripping her chest tightly when Yang nods. Perhaps she shouldn’t feel guilt over an accident that she hadn’t caused… but she can’t help but hear an awful, nasty voice in the back of her mind that tells her that Yang wouldn’t have gotten hurt that day if she had just stayed home. Yang wouldn’t have gotten bored, then she wouldn’t have gone driving and gotten blindsided. She wouldn’t have to struggle with the loss of her arm and the trauma that comes with it. 

“Hey, don’t do that.” Yang reprimands softly, and when Blake looks up, her gaze is gentle and earnest as she places a hand on top of Blake’s and squeezes it tenderly. 

“Don’t do what?” Blake says stiffly, glancing away and folding her ears back stubbornly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Blake, you’re my best friend. I know what it looks like when you’re slipping into misplaced blame. You always get the exact same look in your eyes.” Yang scoots so that she’s sitting in front of Blake and gently cups her jaw with both hands, bringing their foreheads together in the silent greeting and act of comfort and offering of strength that has become so natural to them. “It’s the exact same look you get when you talk about Adam. Bad things don’t happen because of you… no matter what his voice tries to tell you.”

“Aren’t I meant to be the one comforting you right now? You’re the one having nightmares.” Blake says with a shaky, watery huff of laughter, swallowing thickly as she curls her hands around Yang’s wrists, subconsciously brushing her thumbs against skin and steel. 

“Hey, nothing in the best friend manual says that we can’t comfort each other at the same time.” Yang says with a small, lopsided grin that makes Blake’s heart stutter. “Not that there is one.”

“If there is, Weiss probably has it.”

“Eh, probably.”

“Do… you want to lay together for a bit? Hang out in here?”

“Yeah. I’d like that.”

In no time at all, the two women are laying on their sides and facing each other, ankles tangled together as they lay in a silent room and drink in the presence of the person that they trust most in the whole, wide world. Eventually, though, Blake breaks the silence with a gentle question; “Tell me about your nightmares?”

Yang sighs, her eyes blinking as though to chase away tears and reaches out for Blake, curling her hands into her shirt and bracing herself before she talks. “It’s the same thing as always. I’m in my car, the truck hits me and there’s a bad accident. But this time I stay awake. I can see broken steel and smell petrol all around me. I can- I can see my arm trapped in the broken mental of my door. Just outside my car, there’s this woman standing there and just watching me. She’s a little taller than me, with black, curly hair and red clothes. She has these… red eyes that are filled with this- this sense of apathy. Like she’s just stopped caring. I can’t really see her face but I know who she is.”

“Your mum.”

“Yeah.” Yang’s throat bobs in a hard swallow and before she can think better of it, Blake reaches out to cup her face, brushing her thumb tenderly against the bags under Yang’s eyes and catching the silent tear that falls. “It’s been over a year. I should be over this by now.”

“That’s the funny thing about trauma.” Blake murmurs softly, smiling sadly as Yang nudges her cheek against her hand. “It doesn’t care about time or what we want. It’s not something we can just wash our hands of. We just… have to keep trying to place one foot in front of the other as we heal.”

“And accept other people’s strength when we’re too tired to stand. Yeah, I know.” Yang closes her eyes for a moment before opening them and giving Blake a halfhearted glare. “Y’know… I hate it when you use my words against me.”

“They’re good words.”

“That’s plagerism. I could sue you.”

“Yeah, because that would hold up in court.” Blake smiles when Yang huffs a watery laugh, moving to cup the back of her head and pull her into a tight hug. “Come here.”

She hears Yang huff indignantly but her friend allows herself to be pulled into Blake’s arms, resting her forehead against Blake’s collar and relaxing against her. It takes a moment for Yang to drift off to sleep, her arms curling around Blake’s waist as she inhales deeply. “Thanks, Blake. You really are the best friend I could have asked for.”

Blake feels the words both pierce and soothe her heart, forming tears of both sentiment and heartache in her eyes as she places a gentle kiss to the top of Yang’s head. Soft snores soon leave Yang and Blake just doesn’t have the heart to shoo her back to her own room. Not when she had been having such a hard time sleeping since her TedTalk.

* * *

“They want us to do the chapstick challenge.”

Blake chokes on her tuna ramen, slamming her fist against her chest as she wheezes and reaches for her glass of water. She inhales deeply and lifts her head to glare at a concerned Yang and sighs. “Could you give a girl some warning, Yang? I nearly choked!”

“... That’s what she said.”

“Yang!”

“I’m sorry! Ruby’s been making me watch the Office lately so I’ve got that show’s dumb jokes stuck in my head!”

“Ugh.” Blake groans, rubbing the side of her face wearily before glancing at a very sheepish Yang. “You’d seriously be up for the chapstick challenge?”

“I mean… why not? You’re my best friend. I’m comfortable with you so I don’t see what the big issue would be.” Yang shrugs, taking a drink of her own water before turning back to her spicy ramen special. “What about you? You up for it?”

Blake pauses as an idea comes to mind. Blake has thus far been unable to get over Yang… but perhaps this challenge could allow her to get Yang out of her system, once and for all. Of course, it might also accomplish the exact opposite result… but perhaps it’s worth a shot.

“You know what? Sure. Let’s do it. The fans will eat it right up, anyway.”

“Great! So… we should, like, go shopping for chapstick, right?” Yang’s nervous smile shifts to something far more playful, a devious gleam entering her eyes that has Blake instinctively preparing for a prank of some kind. “I’m going to get the  _ worst  _ flavours.”

“All I have to do to make you suffer is buy licorice chapstick and it’s game over.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Blake simply smirks at her best friend and turns back to her meal, letting a strangely comfortable silence fall across them.

It was a dangerous game that she was playing… and she could only hope that she wouldn’t lose.

* * *

“... so that explains the rules of the game.” Blake finishes, glancing at Yang with a nervous smile as Yang fiddles with the hem of her yellow flannel awkwardly. “Yang will be trying to guess what chapstick I put on in my video and in hers, I’ll be the one guessing… so… should we get started?”

“Yep! Let’s do this! Prepare to have your butt whooped, bumblebee.”

“No.” Blake deadpans as she chucks a blindfold at Yang’s face. “Now put this on and stay still.”

Blake waits until Yang snorts and places the blindfold on, staying obediently still as Blake had requested. Blake glances at the camera and shrugs as she plucks out a green coloured chapstick with the word “pickle” on it and shows it to the camera. Her ears flick nervously as she applies it, inhaling deeply as she turns to Yang and pauses. “Yang?”

“Yeah? You good to go?”

“Yes. Um…” Blake pauses, tapping her legs awkwardly as Yang turns her head curiously in her direction. The sight of Yang in a blindfold, just waiting for her is far more…  _ interesting  _ of a sight than Blake had anticipated and she finds herself swallowing hard before talking once more. “Can I kiss you?”

“That  _ is _ the name of the game, Blake.”

“Look, I am trying to be respectful and ask for your consent, you asshole.” Blake growls, reaching over to poke Yang’s ribs. Her ears flick forward when she gives a squealing gasp, her body jolting in shock.

“Okay! I get!” Yang huffs a laugh, giggling slightly as she rubs her ribs. “Fine. You have my consent so let’s get this over with.”

Blake tries not to flinch at the words and shuffles closer to her friend. She gently cups her jaw, tries not to stroke her cheeks and leans forward to press a quick peck against her lips.

“What the hell was that?” Yang asks as Blake pulls back, sounding confused and amused all at once. “That wasn’t even a kiss!”

“You know the rules. Peck first and then if you can’t guess, a proper kiss.”

“Do you even know how to kiss properly? Is that why you and Sun-“

“You’re blindfolded and at my mercy. Don’t piss me off.” Blake growls, though even she can’t hide the laugh that enters her voice. She watches Yang frown in thought, trying to put a name to the flavour, and her heart races. It had only been a peck but she could feel her cheeks burning, leaving her to hope that she wasn’t blushing as badly as she thought she might be. “Can you guess?”

“I don’t know. Cactus? What the fuck is that?” Yang mutters, licking her lips and sighing heavily. “Shit. No. I don’t know. Get back over here.”

Blake’s heart stutters, her pulse racing as she grips Yang’s face once more and leans in to kiss her again. She lingers this time, lips pressed against Yang’s in soft kiss. Her eyes drift shut, ears pulling back against her head as Yang hums thoughtfully against her mouth. She pulls back, trying very hard to keep her breathing even as Yang tilts her head thoughtfully. 

“Yeah, no. I can’t figure it out.”

“It’s, um, it’s pickle.” Blake says, hoping that the tremor in her voice isn’t as obvious to Yang and the mic as it is to her. “You suck at this.”

“You still have four more to go!”

“Four more for you to suck at- wait.” She pauses, eyes going wide as the accidental innuendo processes in her brain. 

“I mean… I’m not sure this is  _ that  _ kind of video, Blake. Gotta keep it advertiser friendly.”

“Just… shut up while I wipe this off and pick a new one.” Blake mumbles as she wipes off the chapstick with a makeup wipe, cheeks and neck burning. Yang really wasn’t making this easy for her, was she? “Alright. Next one.” She says, turning to Yang after showing and applying a red and yellow chapstick with the words “french fries” on it. She places a quick peck to Yang’s lips and waits for her to respond.

“Oh, fuck. That’s french fries, right?”

“Goddamn.” Blake says, turning to the camera with an impressed look. “She got it on the first go. Not bad at all.”

“I’m so gonna win.”

“Definitely not.” Blake mumbles around a makeup wipe. She reaches a shaking hand into the bag, fighting against the impulse to just  _ kiss  _ Yang silly. She she inhales shakily, making a mental note to edit out any nervous sounds that she makes and tries very hard to focus on the challenge and not how nice Yang’s lips feel against her own. She holds up a yellow chapstick with the word “lemon on it and applies it before pecking Yang’s lips for the third time.

“Tastes citrusy. I think… lemon?”

“Shit. That’s two of five. I’m going to have step up my game.” Blake chuckles, hoping that it doesn’t sound as nervous as she feels. She, once more, wipes her lips before picking and holding up a brown chapstick with a yellow label titled “Sunflower Pop.” She pecks Yang’s lips and bites her bottom lip as Yang flounders for a moment before gesturing for another kiss. 

“... fuck. No. What the hell is it?”

“Sunflower Pop.” 

“That tastes nothing like Sunflower Pop! I am  _ offended!” _

Blake laughs, shrugging as she wipes her lips free of chapstick and holds up a bright, pink chapstick with the words “Strawberry Sunrise” on it and applies it. She leans in to peck Yang’s lips, arching a surprised brow at the small, happy sounding hum that leaves her.

“I don’t know what it is but it tastes  _ amazing. _ Familiar too. I know that flavour. What the fuck is it?” Yang’s face scrunches up in concentration before she sighs irritably. “Nope. Come back here.”

Blake stomach twists itself into knots as she leans over to kiss Yang, closing her eyes and letting her taste the chapstick properly this time. She’s surprised when Yang lets out a pleased hum and kisses her more firmly, reaching up to cup her jaw for a moment before really taking Blake by surprise and swiping her tongue across her bottom lip. Blake’s right hand, hidden by her leg, digs into the couch cushion and she  _ just  _ barely bites back a low and needy whimper as Yang lets go of her jaw and pulls back, leaving Blake to stare after her in shock.

“Oh, fuck yeah. That is, without a doubt, Strawberry Sunrise.”

“Uh- yea- yes. That is- that’s right.” Blake stutters, desperately trying to keep her voice even as she scoots back to her side of the couch and curls her hands in her lap. “That was the last one.”

“Boo-yah! I got… what? Three out of five?” Yang’s grins as rips off her blindfold and hisses at the sudden change in light before turning to Blake with a smirk. “Think you can beat that?”

“I think so.” Blake clears her throat and raises a brow at Yang, heart pounding against her chest violently. “You… really liked that last one, huh?”

“Hell yes… oh! There it is!” Yang says happily as she snags it from the coffee table, grinning at the camera. “I know Blake paid for this but I am  _ so  _ stealing it because it’s like…  _ incredible.  _ I might have to stock up these. Thanks, Blake!”

“Um… yeah. Su- sure. No problem.” Blake says before clearing her throat roughly and turning to her camera with a smile. “So… that’s it for today. Like, comment and subscribe and I’ll see you next time.”

“Later!” Yang chirps before Blake turns off the camera and turns to her. “Hey, I’m going to go get started on lunch, okay? We can do my video after.”

“Sounds great. I’m going to room to start on editing.” Blake says, barely biting back a whimper as Yang grins and winks playfully at her.

“You got it, Belladonna. I’ll come and get you because God knows you won’t hear me shout for you when you get into the zone.”

Blake nods and collects her gear and carries it to her room, distantly placing it on her bed before making her way to the bathroom and locking the door behind her. She splashed her face with cold water and leans heavily against the sink, throat tight and eyes burning with unshed tears as she raises her fingers to her lips and lets out a shaky breath.

Mistakes, she realises, have been made.


	8. Chapstick Challenge, Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we see Blake continue to fight back against her feelings.

_ NightShade really just keeps giving off dom vibes. I’m here for it! _

_ Fuck yeah, consent! We love to see it! _

_ Not gonna lie… seeing Blake ask for Yang’s consent to kiss her kind of made me swoon a little. _

_ Omg. Yang was so offended by how tiny of a kiss that was xD _

_ Blake’s growl, tho… if I wasn’t gay before, I am now! _

_ FUCKING CACTUS?? YANG! HOW DO YOU CONFUSE CACTIS WITH PICKLE?? _

_ Oh god. Every time they kissed, I died. _

_ I can’t believe that I just watched a video of my YouTube crushes basically making out xD _

_ GAYGAYGAYGAYGAY!!!!! _

_ HOW THE FUCK ARE THEY NOT DATING?! _

“Pretty damn easy when she doesn’t have feelings for me.” Blake mumbles, frowning at her scroll and letting it fall to her bed. She sighs, heart twisting painfully in her chest as she remembers the day she had confessed to Yang. She had been so scared of losing her that the words had just slipped out before she could stop them. 

Not that it matters, really. Yang had obviously interpreted it as a platonic affirmation, which meant that she doesn’t see Blake in the light that Blake saw her in. But that’s okay. Blake loves Yang and, even if Yang doesn’t share her feelings, she still loves Blake in her own way. 

“God, why me?” Blake groans, as she hears Yang setting up her camera in their living room. They had both felt too full and lazy after their lunch on the day they filmed Blake’s video and so, they chose to reschedule. 

“Blake? You ready?”

“Yeah! Be there in a sec!”

Five more kisses. One more video. She could control herself for that long. 

She had to.

* * *

“Okay… hold up. I’m going to edit this out but… Blake. You  _ do  _ know you don’t have to do this, right?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Blake asks as she sits on their couch and fiddles anxiously with her blindfold as she gives Yang a confused look. “I’m fine.”

“You sure? Because you seem… a little on edge.”

“I’m sure. Just… a comment got into my head. Don’t worry about it.” Blake says, trying to smile reassuringly at her friend, pulse racing as she tries to sell the half truth. “I already filmed this video for my channel. Why wouldn’t I be okay with-“

“Just because you were cool with filming it once, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to feel cool filming a second one.” Yang says softly, giving Blake a small smile as she places her hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. “If you’re not up for this, that’s okay. I can think of something else for my channel. The audience will just have to deal with it. My best friend’s comfort is  _ way  _ more important than their entertainment.”

“I-“ Blake falters for a moment, taken aback by Yang’s words. She swallows thickly and lets out a small sigh, reaching up to squeeze Yang’s hand gently. “I’m fine. I promise. We can do this.”

“Okay. But if you get uncomfortable at any point, tell me. We can stop at any time, alright?”

“Alright.”

With said, the two women shift back into their internet personas as Blake slips the blindfold over her eyes and flicks her ears back irritably. “I really don’t like not being in control so I hope you lot appreciate this.”

“I think that just adds to their theories about you being a dom.”

“Whoever said they were just theories?” Blake says with a smirk, turning her head towards where she thinks the camera is. “You’ll never know.”

“If this is how you are with the viewers, I fear what the poor son of a bitch you end up dating has to go through.” Yang laughs softly, teasingly, and Blake has to bite back the urge to pull down the blindfold to see her smile. “Okay… first chapstick. Can I kiss you?”

“Sure.”

Blake jumps in surprise as a pair of lips press quickly against her own and she freezes, her brain struggling to process what just happened. She swallows hard and swipes her tongue across her lips, trying to taste whatever chapstick Yang had chosen. 

“Can you guess?”

“I don’t know. Oil? Grease?”

“Nope. Want another kiss?”

Blake nods and braces herself. Her heart skips a beat when a finger curls gently under her chin, catching it between a forefinger and a thumb, before Yang guides her into a kiss. Blake digs her fingers subtly into her own leg, trying to remind herself to taste the flavour on Yang’s lips. “Okay… is that… is that, like, bacon or something?”

“You got it!” Yang cheers, a grin evident in her voice as she shifts in her seat. “Wait… why am I happy about this? You only need to get three more to beat me!”

Blake hums noncommittally, shifting her weight slightly as Yang readies herself. She can feel her pulse race, her heart slamming against her chest. Her skin is burning and so much of her is screaming to pull Yang close…

“Okay. Next one.”

But she can’t. She merely nods and sighs and accepts the small peck that Yang gives her and frowns as she tries to force her emotions back and discern what flavour Yang had used this time. “Grapes?”

“Nope!”

“Fuck.” Blake sighs, gesturing Yang back over and trying very hard not to hum against her lips. Yang is soft and gentle… sweet too. Blake feels her breath leave her lungs each time and she has to fight to remind herself about  _ why  _ Yang’s even kissing her in the first place. “Seriously.” She says, as calmly as she can despite how shaky she feels. “That tastes like grapes.”

“Apparently it’s meant to be blue raspberry.” Yang says, a smug tone entering her voice as she chuckles. “Buuuuuut… it does kinda taste more like grapes. And  _ no.  _ You don’t get a point because of that.”

“Oh, damn. You caught me.” Blake drawls sarcastically, snorting as Yang pokes her cheek. “I will bite you.”

“Please don’t. I need my fingers.”

“Uh-huh. Just move onto the next flavour, yeah?”

The third flavour, despite Blake’s extremely distracted state, is blatantly obvious and she licks her lips when Yang pulls away and nods. “That’s a Hershey’s kiss. It has to be.”

“Yep! How’d you guess that one so easily?”

“Nora invited me out back in college to hang out with her and Ren. She challenged me to see who can eat the most Hershey’s kisses in one sitting and you know how I am with challenges.” Blake shrugs, allowing her lips to curl into a small half smile as Yang shuffles about. “I won… though it came at a cost. I can’t look at a Hershey’s kiss without feeling ill so that chapstick is just torture for me.”

But kissing Yang more than makes up for it, Blake thinks to herself as Yang laughs softly. With two more chapsticks to go, Blake finds herself regretting that the challenge will be over soon. “Got the next one?”

“Yup! C’mere.”

This time, Blake recognises the flavour immediately and can’t help but let out a pleased hum as the familiar flavour of black licorice meets her taste buds. She pauses, torn between guessing immediately and drawing the challenge out just a bit longer. Her desires, however, win out and she sighs heavily. “It tastes familiar but I can’t place it.”

Yang gently grips her chin and brings her into a lingering kiss and Blake finds herself returning the same surprise that Yang had given her; by swiping her tongue across her best friend’s bottom lip just before she pulls away. She just barely stops herself from gripping Yang’s shirt and tugging her close and sits still, trying to keep her breathing even as Yang shifts in her seat. “Licorice. Black licorice, to be specific.”

“I- huh. I should have guessed that you’d get that one.” Yang says awkwardly, shuffling around in her seat once more. “You love licorice, after all.”

“Yeah, I’m going to have to steal that one.”

“That’s fair. I stole the strawberry sunrise one.” Yang says, chuckling softly. “Alright. Last one and this is what determines whether it’s a tie… or whether Blake loses. Spoiler alert; it’s because Blake’s a loser.”

“Shut up.”

“No, you.”

Blake jumps in surprise when Yang bends over to peck her lips, barely giving her time to prepare. She makes an irritated noise in her throat, ignoring the amused laugh that escapes Yang as she licks her lips. Instantly, she recognises it as maple syrup… but she still finds herself giving out an exasperated sigh. “No… I don’t… what is that? Come back over here. I can’t quite get it.”

Yang leans back over and kisses her. Blake’s heart stutters and she lets herself savour the feeling of Yang’s lips against her own, knowing perfectly well that  _ this  _ was the last kiss that they were going to share. She forces back the needy whimper that threatens to leave her throat and clears it roughly. “Maple syrup.”

“Yes! Huh. I guess it’s a tie. Three to three.”

Blake takes off her blindfold and shakes out her hair, wincing as her eyes get used to the bright light once more. Subconsciously, she runs a hand down her face to chase away the heat flooding her skin and gives the camera a wave as Yang finishes her video, smirking and winking playfully at the camera as she always does.

“Well… that was a thing.” Yang chuckles softly, rubbing her neck awkwardly. “Good thing we don’t have to do that anymore, huh?”

“Yeah. Good thing.” Blake echoes, clearing her throat and standing. “I’m just… going to go make some tea. Want any?”

“Think you could make me a coffee?”

“It’s four in the afternoon, Yang.”

“I have a problem and I don’t plan on getting rid of it!”

Blake forces herself to huff a small laugh and quickly makes her way to the kitchen, busying herself with the task of preparing their drinks in favour of ignoring the painful grip surrounding her heart.

  
  



	9. Waxing My Best Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yang makes up for a miscount in the last challenge video.

“Hey, Blake! Dinner will be ready soon.” 

Yang pauses, tilting her head curiously at the sound of Blake’s heels hitting the ground. Usually, Blake tends to remove her heels as soon as possible so this was highly unusual. 

“Hey.” Blake’s voice says, just before a pair of hands curl low around Yang’s hips, slender fingers toying with the hem of her shirt. “Did you have a good day?” Blake murmurs quietly into her ear, sending a pleasant chill down her spine.

“Um! Yep! Very good! The best!” Yang stammers, heart racing as she turns around and tilts her head up slightly to look at Blake, briefly cursing the heels that gave the usually shorter woman an advantage over her. “Are you okay?”

“I… could be better.” Blake says, reaching behind Yang and turning the stove off. 

“Hey! Do you mind?” Yang says with an indignant glare, her stomach twisting into to knots as Blake’s lips shift into a smirk. “Are you hungry or not-“

“Not for food, at any rate.” 

Yang barely has time to hear Blake’s words before her best friend’s mouth is on hers, lips pressing against her own in a searing kiss as Blake spins to press her against a counter. Her eyes drift shut, her hands moving to grasp at Blake’s shoulders as Blake’s teeth graze her lips. A low whine escapes her as Blake gently runs her nails up her sides, hands slipping beneath Yang’s shirt and pressing against her bare skin. 

“Blake.” Yang gasps, gulping for air as Blake begins to kiss her jaw, tracing her way down to her neck and gently nipping at her pulse point. One of her hands curl around Blake’s shoulders, pulling her closer as her other hand curls into her hair, becoming entangled in the black strands while taking care with her cat ears. “ _ Grapes.”  _ She whimpers as Blake’s mouth presses against the crook of her neck, leaving a mark behind before soothing it with a tender kiss. 

“That chapstick challenge is the best and the worst idea that you’ve ever had.” Blake breathes against her skin, smirking as Yang whines. “Now you’ve got me  _ hooked.  _ Do you know why?”

“No. Tell- tell me.”

“Because you’re  _ intoxicating _ .” Blake says lowly into her ear, pausing to nip at it and chuckling when Yang whines again. “I’m pretty sure that I’m doomed to fall… and I  _ expect  _ you to catch me. Understand?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I can- I can do that. I can  _ so _ do that.” Yang mutters shakily, humming eagerly as Blake cups her jaw and kisses her, teeth gently tugging at her bottom lip as Yang pulls her closer by her hips. 

“I’m glad… now the question remains…” Blake murmurs between kisses, smiling against Yang’s lips each time. “Your room… or mine?”

“Um!”

Both Blake and Yang pull away from each other as a shrill beeping sound meets their ears and they give each other a confused look, just before Yang’s vision goes dark.

* * *

Yang wakes up and fumbles for her alarm, yelping in distress as her body rolls out of bed and hits the floor. She groans, sitting up and inhaling deeply in an attempt to calm her racing heart. Her face feels flushed and she can  _ still  _ feel her best friend’s hands on her body, her lips on her own and feel the ache of the mark Blake had left on her neck in her dream.

“Oh God.” Yang whispers to herself, clambering to her feet and dropping her face into her hands as a low, distressed whine escapes her throat. “That  _ fucking  _ chapstick challenge.” She sighs and stands on shaky legs before making her way to the bathroom for a much needed cold shower.

It certainly doesn’t help that she knows exactly what it would feel like to kiss Blake. She managed to appear cool, calm and collected but her mental state had been a train wreck. She couldn’t think straight, leaving her mentally blue screening and hoping that Blake wouldn’t pick up on it. She had thought that, if she could just get to kiss Blake, she’d get her out of her system…

That, as it turns out, had been a  _ very  _ wrong assessment because now she’s  _ dreaming  _ about Blake and her stupid perfect face with her painfully kissable lips and her ridiculously amazing body…

“I’m so fucked.”

And not in the good way, either.

* * *

_ BLAKE IS GONNA KILL ME!  _

_ Omg… did y’all see the way Yang held her chin? It was so gentle and tender! _

_ Can they just date already?!  _

_ Blake’s confuses face is adorable! _

_ Has anybody else noticed that this is the second time that NightShade has threatened to bite Yang?  _

_ Poor Blake. At least she won the Hershey kiss comp! _

_ “No, you.” Sunny Lil Dragon really just kissed NightShade to shut her up, didn’t she? I’m beginning to thing that she’s a brat. _

_ YANG! YOU CHEATED! BLAKE GOT FOUR RIGHT! _

_ BLAKE BEAT YOUR ASS! _

_ GIVE BLAKE HER WIN, YOU SNEAKY BASTARD! _

_ Just so you know, Yang… you counted wrong. Blake got four, whereas you only got three. She won :) _

Yang looks up from Blake’s laptop and gives her a sheepish grin as Blake stares down at her with an unimpressed look, foot tapping impatiently. “Um… oops?”

“Uh-huh.”

“It was an accident, I swear!” Yang defends, skin growing hot as Blake arches a brow at her, staring down at her and reminding her far too much of her dream. “Look, how about this? You get to do some extreme beauty regime on my for a video as an apology. Sound good, buddy?”

“Hmm… I do have a new waxing kit that I’ve been meaning to try for a sponsor…”

“...  _ oh no.” _

“Oh,  _ yes.”  _ Blake gives her a positively  _ wicked  _ grin and snags her laptop from the kitchen table and saunters off, throwing one last smirk over her shoulder as she goes. “Think you can film tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure. I can film tomorrow.”

“Great. Make sure you have a warm shower, no heat. No lotion. Exfoliate. Oh! And make sure you wear loose shorts or something. Anything that gives me easy access to your legs.”

“Sure.” Yang forces a grin as Blake disappears around the corner. Once she’s sure she’s gone, Yang drops her head to the table with a flustered groan.

_ “I am so fucked.” _

* * *

“Go on. Say your bit, sweetheart.”

“You’re enjoying this way too much.” Yang growls playfully, poking Blake’s shoulder before turning to the camera with a heavy sigh. “I, Yang Xiao Long, made a very grave error. It would appear as though  _ Blake Belladonna  _ was the winner of the chapstick challenge. As an apology… I shall permit her to wax my legs.”

“So… thanks to this video’s sponsor, Fall Wax, Yang is going to get her first wax.” Blake says with a smirk, plucking a wax strip from the black, red and orange box on the coffee table as she looks at the camera. “Yang? You ready?”

“Sure. Why the fuck not.” Yang sighs, adjusting her t-shirt and moving so that her legs are resting across Blake’s laps. “Hit me.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, you goof.”

“You’re about to wax me!”

“I literally wax on a regular basis! Don’t be a baby.”

“I’m not being a baby!”

“You’re a wimp.” Blake says teasingly, pulling apart the strip from its protective cover and placing it on Yang’s leg. She rubs it carefully, making sure that it’s completely pressed against her skin as Yang pouts at her. “Ready? I’ll even give you a countdown.”

“Sure.”

“One…”

Yang lets out a shout as Blake rips off the strip, staring at it thoughtfully as Yang holds her leg and whines. “Not too bad! It actually does quite a nice job. It removed a good amount of hair.”

“What the fuck kinda countdown was that?!” Yang yelps, glaring at Blake half heartedly, her bottom lip hitting out in a pout. “That was so mean!”

“Sorry.” Blake says, not sounding particularly sorry at all as she give Yang a cheeky grin that Yang finds herself unable to resist. “If it helps, I had the same thing done to me on my first waxing session.”

“Who did yours?”

“Ilia.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t pass out from seeing that much of your legs.” Yang turns to the camera and grins lazily, ignoring Blake as she snickers beside her. “Sorry, Ilia. I know you watch our videos but you  _ know  _ you’re a bit of a mess, right?”

“She knows and she owns that fact at this point.” Blake says with a small laugh as she holds up another strip. “Ready to go again? I promise that I’ll be nice this time.”

“Pinky swear?”

“Yes, pinky swear.”

Yang smirks as Blake wraps her little finger around Yang’s, though her expression softens when Blake, with a concerned frown, pulls away and gently brushes her hand over Yang’s leg, soothing the burning skin gently before moving on.

Yang sighs and leans back against the couch and lets Blake get to work. She was nothing if not a woman of her word, after all.

* * *

As it turns out, Yang barely has time to process the feeling of Blake’s hands on her legs because of the sensation of her hair being  _ ripped from her skin. _

“Why do you do this.” Yang moans painfully from the couch as Blake snorts and turns off her camera. “I know they say beauty is pain but  _ why?!” _

“Because I like how my legs feel afterwards. Waxing leaves them smoother than if I just shave.” Blake says with a shrug as she lifts Yang’s legs and deposits them into her lap as she sits down. Absentmindedly, she rubs a hand up and down Yang’s shin, the action soothing Yang somewhat. “It’s not for everyone, though.”

“Damn right. I’ll stick to regular old shaving, thanks.”

“That’s fair.” Blake pauses, biting her lip as a concerned light entered her eyes and she turns to Yang with a worried expression. “I didn’t…  _ actually  _ hurt you though, right? Are you okay?”

“Blake, you’re fine. I promise.” Yang says softly, smiling gently at Blake as her ears flick nervously. “You know I ham  _ everything  _ up. It stung like a bitch but it’s just wax. It’s okay, really.”

“Good.” Blake murmurs, squeezing Yang’s ankles affectionately for a moment as she gives her a warm smile. “I  _ never  _ want to hurt you. You know that, right?”

“Of course, Blake. Besides… you’re too soft to  _ actually  _ hurt me, you big sap.”

“I’m  _ not  _ soft!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Are to-Oof!”

Yang grunts as a pillow hits her face and she narrows her eyes at Blake, who’s already leaping off the couch and bracing herself with a grin. “Oh… you better run, Belladonna.  _ Nobody  _ wins a pillow fight with Yang Xiao Long!”

Yang rushes after Blake, grinning as her best friend lets out a squeal of laughter as she narrowly misses being hit by a flying pillow. 

It was good to know that no amount of awkward videos, suggestive dreams and fans shipping them could destroy the friendship they had. All she had to do was keep her emotions in check and everything would be alright. All she had to do was try to move on from Blake and things would be okay.

After all… it wasn’t like good intentions had ever hurt anyone… right?


	10. The Comment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Blake reads her comments... 
> 
> And has a very unpleasant surprise.

_ Listen, ladies… you can’t just showbthat much leg and expect us to be okay.  _

_ Okay… but Yang’s legs? I am looking respectfully. _

_ Yang seemed very okay with Blake getting very high on her leg, y’all. I’m just sayin! _

_ Well… at least Yang’s not entirely a filthy, rotten cheat. _

_ How the fuck did they make waxing look wholesome? _

_ Blake can be such a little shit. Poor Yang xD _

_ Instagram chooses my day could be fun! _

Blake chuckles softly as she leans against the kitchen counter, pausing her daily scroll through her comments to take a sip of water. This was one of the best parts of her job, she thinks. Seeing how people react to her content and getting to interact with people.

Her smile falters, though, when her eyes scan across the next comment.

_ I see you, my love. Did you really think you could hide forever? It’s only a matter of time before I find you. Remember how I always found you? Every time you tried to abandon me? I’ll find you again… and your little “friend” too. Until then, darling…  _

Blake feels a cold chill settle over her and the glass she had been drinking from falls from her fingers and hits the ground, shattering into pieces around her feet. She slams her scroll to the kitchen counter, her breathing growing sharp and fast as panicked tears fill her eyes. A low, fearful whimper escapes her as she sinks to her feet and leans against the counter, chest growing tight as dizziness and nausea start to make their presence known.

“No. Nononono.” She whimpers, gasping for breath as her hand clutches at her chest, body trembling violently. “Not him. Please, not him.”

“Blake? Is everything okay in he- _ oh!  _ Blake? Shit!” Yang’s voice gasps as a presence makes itself known at her side and she looks up at concerned lilac eyes as Yang squats beside her. “Hey. Hey, I’m here. Is it- are you okay with being touched right now? Can I pick you up?”

Blake nods, unable to speak as Yang’s arms scoop her up and carry her to the couch, well away from the glass. Yang sits down on the floor in front of it, leaning her back against it and placing Blake in between her legs and pulling her close, rocking back and forth and soothing her gently.

“Shhh. It’s okay. Cry it out if you need to, buddy. I’m not going anywhere. You’re safe with me, okay?”

Safe. Blake latches onto the word like a drowning man does a lifeline. She’s safe. Nobody connected to Adam knows where she is. She’s surrounded by people that love and support her. She’s more than capable of fighting. And perhaps most reassuring of all, Yang’s right there beside her. Yang was safe. 

“Come on. Breath, There we go. Good. Remember what you taught me when I had my first panic attack? In for four, hold for four, out for four. There you go. Thatta girl.” Yang murmurs into her ear, her arms curling tightly around Blake as Blake buries her face into her neck, inhaling the familiar scent of smoke, citrus and leather. 

“I’m sorry.” Blake rasps out, when she’s finally calm enough to talk. “The glass-“

“Can wait. I’m more worried about you right now.” Yang says with gentle firmness, gently pushing Blake away to look into her face and cooing softly at the sight of tears falling down her face. “Oh, Blake. What happened? You haven’t had an attack like that in ages.”

“I- I know. I’m sorr-“ Blake pauses, cutting off her own apology and inhaling deeply. Stress was making her fall back into old habits, it seems. She swallows and pushes back against the urge to apologise. She hadn’t done anything wrong, after all. No matter what the voice in the back of her mind tries to tell her. “I was- I was looking through my comments and- and I saw one that I  _ know  _ was left by Adam.”

“Really? You haven’t heard anything about him in years. Are you sure it’s him and not some troll being cree-“

“ _ Yes, I’m sure it’s him!”  _ Blake’s voice pitches, suddenly anxious that Yang  _ won’t  _ believe her. She closes her eyes and swallows hard, an unpleasant chill running down her spine as  _ his  _ face forces its way into her mind’s eye. “I  _ know  _ it’s him. Nobody else knows about my escape attempts. And it’s worded  _ exactly  _ how he used to talk down to me. He- it’s him. I  _ know  _ it’s him, Yang!”

“Okay. Okay. I believe you. Okay? I believe you.” Yang murmurs softly, pressing their foreheads together, her left hand moving to cup the back of Blake’s head tenderly, her thumb gently stroking through her hair as Blake presses back against her forehead, desperately seeking out comfort. “I know you’re scared but you’re safe. Okay? You’re safe.”

“Okay. I believe you.”

“Good. Okay… so… what do you want to do? You know Adam and you know what you need to feel safe so I’ll follow your lead on this.”

“Um…” Blake blinks, staring at Yang in confusion for a moment before inhaling deeply. “Do you think you could talk to your father and uncle? Maybe convince to do something about the security of our house?”

“Done. I’ll talk to them as soon as possible.” Yang agrees, rubbing Blake’s back gently. “I guess it helps having family in the home security business after all.”

“And I want to message our friends and family. Make sure they know what’s going on. Knowing Adam… he’s likely to message and comment on their public profiles too. He might even try to pose as a friend or a fan to get information about me.” Blake says with a small sniffle, pulling back to wipe her eyes. “He knows we live together… So is it- can I ask you to be careful about what you film when you’re vlogging?”

“Of course, Blake. That’s not even a question.” Yang says, as she gently tucks Blake’s hair behind her ear. She cups Blake’s jaw, smiling sadly as Blake leans into her touch, her thumb brushing Blake’s cheek tenderly. “He isn’t going to lay a single finger on you. We’re a team, right? We support each other. Okay? You’re my  _ best friend. _ I’m not going to let you deal with this alone.”

“Thank you.” Blake murmurs, reaching up to the hand cupping her jaw and wrapping one hand around it while he rother curls around Yang’s wrist. “For helping me. And for- for believing me.”

“Hey, I trust your judgement. If you say that Adam’s creeping on your social media, then I’m going to trust your word on that.” Yang says with a gentle smile, her gaze soft as Blake states back at her sadly. “Like… even if it is  _ just  _ a troll, I’d rather take all the precautions that you need to feel safe.”

“Yeah.” Blake mumbles, blinking slowly at her friend as Yang strokes her cheek gently. “I… should go clean up that glass… and it’s probably a good a idea to screenshot and save that comment. Just in case.”

“Good idea… except let me clean up the glass. You take your scroll, grab your favourite hoodie and do some selfcare.” Yang pauses, frowning in thought. “Wait… it’s wash day for you, right? I’ll grab you one of mine. Sound good?”

“I really want to argue but I’m too tired to even try, honestly.” Blake huffs, ears slowly standing back up when Yang laughs softly. “Okay. I’ll do some selfcare, then.”

“Good.” Yang murmurs, pressing a quick and surprising kiss to Blake’s cheek before standing up and helping Blake to her feet. “You go to my room and pick out any hoodie you want. Then, grab your scroll and do whatever you need to do. Once I’m done cleaning, I’ll even watch Beauty and the Beast with you for the googolplexianth time.”

“You’re such a nerd.” Blake says softly, accepting Yang’s hand and standing. She hesitates before leaning forward and kissing Yang’s jaw quickly and making her way to Yang’s room. She picks out her favourite hoodie of Yang’s, one that she knows Yang wears more often than not, and before too long, she’s sitting on the couch and screenshotting Adam’s comment and saving it to a folder on her scroll.

Blake’s not too proud to admit that she’s scared. Terrified, even. The last time she saw Adam had been just before he had put her in the hospital with a stab wound to her left hip. She was lucky that it didn’t cause more damage than it did. If he’s back… or trying to come back… Blake’s beyond scared of what he’ll do to the people she loves. Of what he’ll do to  _ Yang. _ But she also knows that she doesn’t want to run. Not when she’s found herself a life that she wants to live. 

“Here you go.” 

Blake is pulled from her reverie by Yang gently throwing a large packet of chocolate covered licorice bullets and she lets out a surprised noise in her throat. “Where did you get these? I haven’t had the chance to replenish my stash!”

“... I may or may not keep those on hand in my own stash for emergencies. I think this qualifies.” Yang says with a small, nervous smile as she sets up the movie and settles next to Blake. “I texted my dad and uncle. They’ll be over tomorrow to set up a security system for us. We can start talking to everyone else tonight if you want.”

“Wow. They move fast.”

“Yep. Dad and uncle Qrow sounded pretty concerned when I spoke to them so I think they want it set up as soon as possible, y’know?” Yang murmurs. She glances at Blake and lets out a soft sigh. “Hey. C’mere.” She mutters, curling her arm over Blake’s shoulders and gently tugging her into her side when she sees the distant look in Blake’s eyes. “You look like you need a hug.”

“This feels more like a cuddle.” Blake mumbles, resting her head in Yang’s shoulder and letting herself sink into her side.

“You like cuddles.”

“Only with people that I trust.”

Yang’s arm tightens around her, her other hand coming up to hold her hand sweetly. She feels Yang press a kiss in between her cat ears and she swallows thickly when Yang drapes a blanket over them both.

Yes, she had found a life she wants to live for… but it was also a life she’s going to  _ fight  _ for. She isn’t going to let anyone take this away from her…

Not even Adam fucking Taurus.


	11. The Trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Blake has to get herself four of a... tight situation.

Blake wakes the following morning, laying on her stomach with her face buried in a firm pillow. It is, altogether, a very unusual position to wake up in for her and it only becomes more unusual when she wakes up and comes to the realisation that she was laying on  _ top  _ of Yang, who in turn was laying on her back on their couch.

“Oh God.” Blake breathes out, her cheeks heating up as she stares down at a sleeping Yang, noses close enough to touch. She’s close enough that she can count every single adorable freckle that calls Yang’s tanned skin home. She can see the way Yang’s eyes shift beneath her eyelids as she dreams and she can feel the steady rise and fall of Yang’s chest beneath her own. Their legs are entangled and her hands rest upon Yang’s broad shoulders. Yang’s arms are curled around her waist in a gentle embrace, seeming oblivious to the fact that Blake was having a crisis. “Oh, this is not helping me in the slightest.” She whispers under her breath. Her eyes dart down to Yang’s parted lips and she closes her eyes as the urge to kiss her washes over her. She bites her bottom lip, inhales and opens her eyes to gaze softly at her sleeping friend.

At some point, they must have fallen asleep. The tv is still on, now resting upon the title screen of Beauty and the Beast. The blanket lays haphazardly around their waists, snacks long since having fallen to the floor. She doesn’t know how they came to be like this but she can’t deny that there was something about waking up in Yang’s arms that felt so…  _ right.  _ A slow, shuddering breath leaves her and she carefully tucks Yang’s hair behind her ear, trailing a tender path down Yang’s jaw to cup her cheek and brush her thumb against her skin softly. Yang lets out a sleepy hum, mumbling incomprehensably under her breath in her sleep, and leans into Blake’s touch with a smile that breaks Blake’s heart. 

“You’re killing me.” Blake whispers, swallowing thickly as she brushes her nose affectionately against Yang’s for a moment. “But fuck, if this isn’t beautiful way to go.”

She sighs softly and begins the process of untangling herself from Yang, who makes the process far more difficult than it has to be by whining in her sleep and wrapping her arms tighter around Blake. Blake lets her forehead fall to Yang’s shoulder with a frustrated huff, heat creeping up her neck towards her ears. She inhales deeply and tried again, successfully getting away from the trap that was Yang..

“You goofball.” She finds herself sighing as Yang lets out a displeased noise in her sleep, her hands searching for Blake. She smiles fondly, ears flicking as she gently places a cushion in Yang’s arms. Almost immediately, Yang hugs it tightly to her chest, rolling into her side and snuggling it. It’s far too adorable of a sight this early in the morning and Blake feels her heart melt. Unable to help herself, she leans down to press a lingering kiss to her best friend’s cheek, closing her eyes tightly as they begin to sting with the threat of tears. 

Her mother had always talked about love. She had often said that love, real love, was accepting that it was work. Oh, one might become infatuated with another at first sight easily enough. But real, genuine love was found in the way that two people worked together. How they supported one another. How they tried to grow and learn together. This love wasn’t always romantic. I’m a lot of cases, it could truly be platonic and that  _ was  _ how Blake’s love had started. Moving on from a school girl crush to a deep, platonic love that made her feel warm and safe. But somewhere along the way, that love had shifted into something different, something more romantic. 

What Blake’s mother failed to prepare her for was how powerful love could feel. She didn’t know it was even possible to love someone as much as she does Yang. Yang, who is kind and sweet, strong and supportive, intelligent and cheeky. Yang, who deserves the world, the universe and so much more. All things that Blake  _ longs  _ and  _ yearns  _ to give her but cannot.

“But for now…” Blake finds herself muttering, as she grabs her scroll from the coffee and makes her way to the kitchen as she types into its search engine. “Breakfast is probably a good start.”

Though not before she lifts the collar of Yang’s hoodie up to her nose and inhales the familiar, comforting scent of smoke, citrus and lavender that reminded her of home.

///

“Blake? Blake!”

Blake turns around from playing up her and Yang’s waffles and arches a brow at the sight of Yang leaning against the doorway with her cushion in hand. Yang blinks for a moment in sleepy confusion before glancing down at the cushion in her hand and standing up straight and throwing it behind her… only to hit the tv and make it wobble precariously on its perch with the force of the blow.

“Oops!” Yang squeaks cutely, turning to give Blake a sheepish smile as she rubs the back of her head awkwardly. “Sorry?”

“Goof.” Blake murmurs softly, her heart fluttering as Yang smiles tiredly at her and inhales before letting out a pleased noise.

“You cooked? Didn’t I ban you from the kitchen after the mashed potato fiasco?”

“That was two years ago! I’ve improved.” Blake growls, brandishing her spatula at Yang in a playful threat as she takes her seat at their kitchen table. “Besides, I can follow a recipe online, you know.”

“You never follow recipes. You eyeball everything and  _ that _ , my dear friend, is what gets you into trouble.”

“Fine.” Blake relents with a soft huff of laughter as she carries the plates over to the table and ducks back into the kitchen for the maple syrup. “I can follow a recipe for special occasions.”

“And what’s the occasion tod-oh! You even put blueberries on mine! Just how I like ‘em!”

“I like to think I know my girl.” Blake says teasingly, as she sits. She feels her skin prickle with embarrassment at her choice of words before she takes the syrup from Yang, who had used a rather absurd amount in Blake’s humble opinion, to pour some over her own breakfast. “But to answer your question… the special occasion is… well, it’s you.”

“Me?” Yang says around a mouthful of pancake, her brow creasing in confusion as she swallows and tilts her head at Blake curiously. “How so?”

“I… I woke up this morning and I guess… I wanted to thank you. You’re… incredibly supportive and an amazing friend, Yang. I dont want you to think that it goes unnoticed or unappreciated.” Blake says softly, glancing up at Yang with a small, nervous smile. “So… here we are.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” Yang says, her tone awed and her expression soft, as she reaches across the table to take Blake’s hand, her thumb brushing against Blake’s knuckles tenderly. “We’ve always had each other’s backs so you don’t have to pay me back or whatever. Okay?”

“I know. But… I wanted to do this for you.” Blake says with an embarrassed shrug, glancing down at her food as a smile creeps onto her face. “Besides… you cook  _ all  _ the time. Figured you might want a break.”

“Hey, I cook, you clean. That’s the deal, remember?” Yang says with a soft laugh, plucking a blueberry from her waffles and throwing into her mouth before winking playfully at Blake. “Though, I gotta admit… its a hell of an ego boost knowing that Blake “It All GoEs Into The Same Thing Anyway” Belladonna would willingly follow a recipe for little ol’ me

“An ego boost? Uh-oh. Then this might be a mistake because if your head gets any bigger, you’re not going to be able to fit through doorways anymore.”

Blake giggles as Yang growls and playfully pokes her shin with her foot. Blake retaliates by capturing Yang’s ankle between her own two and holding it in place for a moment before letting go. Neither girl moves too far away, though, and they continue to eat their meals with their ankles gently entwined beneath the table. 

“So…” Yang says when they finish, a worried gleam entering her eyes as Blake sets down her fork and gives her her full attention. “How are you feeling now?”

“Better. I mean… I’m still scared because I know what he’s capable of. But I also know that I’m in a better position that I used to be.” Blake says with a nervous exhale. She smiles when Yang squeezes her hand gently and reaches out to hold it in between her hands, playing with Yang’s fingers absentmindedly. “I’m healthier. Stronger. I’m on a better headspace than I was back then and I have people that want to have my back. If- if he  _ does  _ come back, I know that I’m not going to be alone.”

“No. No, you aren’t.” Yang murmurs softly, her gaze softening as she watches Blake play with her fingers. 

“And I just… I let him control me for so  _ fucking  _ long, Yang. I don’t- I don’t want it live my life in fear again.” Blake says, her ears pinning back against her head angrily as she recalls the fear he had put into her head and heart. “I’m going to keep living my life the way I want to. I’m going to  _ fight  _ for it. He isn’t going to take this from me. Not this time.”

Yang stares at her for a long moment before standing and walking around the table to pull her into a fierce hug, taking Blake by surprise and earning a started squeak from her. “I am so  _ fucking  _ proud of you. You know that?” Yang whispers into her ear, as Blake nuzzles against her neck with a sigh. “You’re amazing.”

“I try.”

“You succeed.”

Blake turns in her seat and lets Yang support her weight as Yang’s hand cards gently through her hair.

“Hey.” Yang murmurs softly, pulling away to smile softly at her. “Why don’t we invite Ruby and Weiss over for dinner? Penny too, if she’s free. We haven’t had a chance to just hang out with them lately.”

“Yeah. I’ve missed those nerds.” Blake sighs affectionately, a find smile crossing her lips as she thinks about her friends. “Sure, lets do it. I could do with a games night if everyone’s up for it.”

“Yeah? You’re sure?”

“I’m not going to live my life in fear. I can’t let him do that to me again.”

“Okay.” Yang says softly, taking Blake by surprise and cupping her jaw tenderly. “Like I said… you know what you need better than anyone. I’ll follow your lead on this. I’ll go send them the shorties a message now.”

Blake lets out a small, surprised gasp, going momentary cross eyed as Yang ducks down and presses a quick kiss to the tip of her nose before scuttling off to her room; leaving Blake a blushing, flustered mess in the kitchen.

What, exactly, had just happened?


	12. Game Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we get to see what the relationship between our favourite beauty vlogger and two of her dearest friends looks like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent five hours on this chapter because it wouldn’t let me wrap it up. It just just didn’t have a good stopping until 3897 words later. Damn thing damn near kept me trapped.
> 
> So hopefully y’all are cool with a long chapter today xD

Many hours later, Blake follows her nose into the kitchen and peeks over a happily humming Yang’s shoulder as she prepares dinner and finds herself grinning.

“So… it’s a nacho night?”

“Yep! Weiss is gonna be so displeased by- Hey! Hands off the food!”

Blake dances away from Yang, smirking as she takes a bite out of her stolen nacho chip. She giggles lightly when Yang glares at her, though Blake merely feels an amused smile cross her face as Yang opens her mouth. 

“Listen here, you little thief…” Yang starts before faltering, her eyes dart over Blake’s face and soon, her expression softens as she lets out a heavy sigh. She crosses to Blake and pulls her into a tight hug, taking Blake by surprise once more.

“Yang?” Blake calls softly, as she brings up her arms to hesitantly hug Yang back. Her brows crease in confusion and she can feel Yang burying her head in her neck.

“I know I should be annoyed… but I’m just so glad to see you being a lil shit. It’s a good sign.” Yang murmurs softly before pulling back and giving a sheepish chuckle, her hands resting on Blake’s waist lightly. “That’s… probably kind of weird, huh?”

“No. I don’t think so.” Blake says quietly, resting her hands against Yang’s shoulders and brushing her thumbs gently against bare skin. “I mean… I remember when I first realised that you were  _ really  _ going to be okay.”

“Oh yeah? What gave you that moment?”

“Well…” Blake sighs, shivering as Yang’s thumbs absentmindedly stroke her skin. “You sing… a lot. Or hum. Usually when you’re doing some small, mundane task. After your accident… you stopped. For a long time, actually. I realised that you were truly going to be okay when we were cleaning the kitchen together and you started singing Toxic under your breath. If you remember… I left the room.”

“To check on your work email.”

“Or so I told you.” Blake says with a shy, apprehensive smile and a nervous laugh. Her ears flick back against her head and she looks down, examining the freckles on Yang’s shoulder with great interest. “I… may or may not have been so relieved to hear you singing again that I may or may not have needed a moment to be emotional about it.”

“Oh my God. Blake!” Yang pulls Blake into a tight hug, huffing a small laugh into the side of her neck as Blake groans in embarrassment. “That’s… actually really sweet. You never told me that. I didn’t even know that you picked up on that habit!”

“Yeah, well… when we care about people, we notice the little things.”

“Yeah. Yeah, we do.”

Yang says softly, pulling back to stare at Blake with an adorable, lopsided grin. Her eyes are gentle and soft as Blake gazes back with a helpless smile of her own, her breath hitching as she finds herself trapped in Yang’s lilac gaze. She swallows thickly as Yang reaches up to her temple, tenderly and slowly tucking her hair behind her ear. Her fingers trace a path behind Blake's ear, trailing down her jaw to affectionately hold her chin between her thumb and forefinger, thumb gently stroking  _ just  _ below Blake’s bottom lip. Blake’s heart slams against her chest frantically as Yang brings their foreheads together, the taller woman’s smile faltering slightly, becoming smaller, more shy and nervous. Blake curls her hands into Yang’s shirt and steps closer, barely in control of her own actions as she and Yang move so that their mouths are just millimeters apart. She can feel Yang’s breath ghosting across her lips, shuddering against her skin and drawing Blake further into whatever spell had come over them both. They tilt their heads, eyes drifting shut as the distance between them grows smaller…

Only to jump apart as their doorbell sounds, followed by a very familiar voice shouting through the door.

“Blake Belladonna! Get out here this instant so that I may kick your derrière for that  _ offensive  _ impersonation of me!”

“Um! I should get that!”

“Foods! Foods needs to finish being made!”

Blake quickly trots out of the kitchen, rubbing at her burning face to try and chase off the heat that lingers. Her hands are shaking and her breath keeps catching in her throat as her mind tries to process the fact that she and Yang had almost kissed…  _ and it wasn’t for a video this time! _

“Shake it off, Belladonna.” Blake mutters to herself, fluffing out her hair and letting out a slow, calming breath. “Shake it off.” With that, she opens the door and lets out a loud grunt as a weight slams into her chest and sends her stumbling back a few paces.

“Blake! Oh my gosh, are you okay? We got your message about what happened and we got so worried!” Ruby says quickly, pulling back to stare up at Blake with concerned, silver eyes. She reaches up, smooshing Blake’s cheeks between her hands and leaning close to her, dropping her voice conspiratorially. “Just so you know… if anyone hurts you, I can and will cut a bitch.”

Blake blinks in surprise at her best friend’s sister for a moment before letting out a laugh, pulling away and covering her mouth as Ruby grins a very pleased grin at Weiss.

“See? Told you I could get Blake to laugh first.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“But you agreed to date me. So did Penny. I can’t be  _ all  _ bad!”

“That hardly negates the fact that you’re  _ insufferable _ , you dunce.” Weiss snorts, rolling her blue eyes fondly as she pushes Ruby away from Blake and leans up on her tiptoes to hug her tightly around her neck. “It’s been too long. How are you holding up?”

“As best as I can.” Blake murmurs into Weiss’s ear, biting her lip as a shaky breath leaves her. “Yang’s been…  _ amazing  _ throughout all of this. And now… I’ve got  _ all  _ of my girls with me. Can’t do much better than that.”

She pulls away, smiling fondly as Weiss steps back with a fierce blush covering her fair face that she desperately tries to hide with an indignant huff. Even now, Weiss still becomes so easily flustered whenever her friends expresse fondness and affection for her. Naturally, they all take advantage of that face.

“Yep! The family’s back together!” Ruby crows, wrapping her arm around Weiss’s waist and kissing her cheek loudly, drawing an embarrassed grumble from the Schnee heiress. “Now-“

“Ruby!”

“Yang!”

Blake steps to the side and watches with a warm smile as Ruby and Yang begin tussling in the hall, each one wrapping their arms around the other’s neck in a headlock as they start arguing about what game they are going to play. An arm curls around her waist and she naturally drapes her arm over Weiss’s shoulder as they watch their favourite people playfully fight, adoring smiles firmly in place.

“Is this the part where I tease you and Ruby about being a loved up couple?” Blake whispers, smirking as Weiss smacks her abdomen lightly.

“Only if this is simultaneously the part where I demand that you stop pining and talk to Yang.” Weiss retorts, smirking right back at her before stepping forward and clapping her hands once. “Okay, that’s enough. I think that, since tonight is about supporting our favourite rebellious rapscallion who, by the way, is completely incapable of mimicking me accurately, we let her pick.”

“I think Blake did a perfect job. She really got your whine down  _ perfectly.” _

“I do  _ not  _ whine!”

“Yes, you do.”

“Ruby! I am a  _ victim _ !”

Blake laughs softly, hiding her smile behind her hand as Weiss stomps her foot once and chases after Ruby into their living room, where her ears flick at the sound of Ruby cackling. She pauses for a moment, glancing up as the feeling of being watched settles over her.

“Huh?” She hums, tilting her head curiously as she meets Yang’s eyes, heat creeping up her neck as she processes the sight of Yang watching her with the softest smile, her gaze warm with affection. 

“Um…” Yang blinks, glancing around her for a moment before stiffening, her hand reaching up to rub the back of her head awkwardly as her voice pitches nervously. “Sorry! Just… you look really happy, is all.” She examines the  _ non-existent  _ nails on her  _ metal  _ hand before tucking both of her hands behind her head, grinning a far too bright grin.

“Oh.” Blake says soft, glancing away with burning cheeks before exhaling slowly and making an impulsive decision. “Is that bad?” She asks coyly, glancing back at Yang as she bites back a small smile.

“What? No! It’s good! Great, even! Happy Blake is a great Blake!” Yang’s hands drop as she flails, eyes wide and alarmed as she stumbles over her words. “That’s not to say you're not great when you’re not happy. You’re always great! Like… just… consistently great! Yup!”

“Well… that’s great.” Blake laughs softly, biting her lip and walking past Yang as her expression softens once more. She lets her fingers brush along Yang’s, her heart skipping a beat as Yang’s breathing hitches, obvious to her sensitive cat ears. A giddy smile crosses her lips and she steps into their living room, arching a brow at the sight of Ruby sitting in an armchair and hugging a very disgruntled Weiss to her chest. Weiss glances up and meets Blake’s eyes before groaning loudly and letting her head fall back against Ruby’s shoulder.

“You are…  _ absolutely _ disgusting. It’s sickening how giddy you are. I feel like I’m suffering from an overdose of sugar.”

“Probably due to your making out with Ruby. You know… the girl that is the human personification of a sugar rush.”

“Can we  _ please  _ not talk about my baby sister making out?” Yang says, scrunching up her face as she wanders through the living room to the kitchen. “I still think she’s too young to be dating.”

“I’m two years younger than you!”

“You’re 23! You’re a baby!”

“Blaaaaaake!” Ruby whines, turning to Blake with a pout as Yang disappears. Her eyes, however, gleam with a playful deviousness that immediately has Blake on edge. “Control your girlfriend!”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Yeah. Your videos together make that very obvious.” Weiss remarks sarcastically before untangling herself from Ruby with a sigh. “I’m going to go help that brute in the kitchen. Try not to destroy anything while I’m gone.” Weiss says with narrowed eyes, even as she leans down to give Ruby a quick kiss.

“No promises.” Ruby says with a wicked grin before glancing over at Blake. “Alright. You need to talk to Yang because this is getting ridiculous.” Ruby says with an amused snort, crossing her arms and giving Blake a smirk that  _ must  _ be a Xiao Long trait because it’s the exact same one that Yang wears when she’s feeling smug. “Seriously. What are you scared of?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Okay. Then let’s uncomplicate it.” Ruby says with a shrug as she moves to the couch to sit beside Blake. “If you’re scared of getting hurt, know that Yang would rather lose another limb than risk ever hurting you.” She says, holding up a finger as Blake sinks against the cushions with an exasperated groan. “If you’re feeling conflicted about everything that’s happening, then there’s no reason why you can’t just talk and agree to take whatever comes next slow.” A second finger joins the first and Ruby’s expression softens, her smirk shifting to a compassionate smile. “And If you’re scared that you’re gonna mess up what you have if she doesn’t feel the same way… can you really look me in the eye and tell me that, with the beautiful, supportive and loving friendship you two share, that Yang would let something like you having feelings for her ruin what you have together?”

“... no.” Blake answers with a sigh at last, closing her eyes and letting her head fall against her friend’s shoulder. “I just… don’t know.”

“You’re allowed to be scared, Blake.” Ruby says softly, curling her arm around Blake and giving her an affectionate squeeze. “But don’t let fear stop you from stepping towards something that could be beautiful.”

Blake hums noncommittally, closing her eyes and drinking on the reassuring presence of her friend until Ruby speaks up.

“So… what game do you want to play?”

“MarioKart.”

“... oh God,  _ nooooo _ . You and Yang get so competitive! Last time you two went up against each other, Weiss ended up with a bottle of soft drink in her hair. It stained her hair neon pink for a week, Blake!”

Blake snickers into Ruby’s shoulder as her friend loudly whines. 

It was good to have the gang back together… even if she was a little sad that Penny couldn’t make it.”

* * *

“HOW THE FUCK DID WEISS BEAT ALL OF OUR ASSES?!”

“THIS IS SUCH FOUL PLAY! RUBY OBVIOUSLY HELPED HER CHEAT!”

“I did not! I’ve just been teaching Weiss how to actually play!”

“Clearly, I’m just better than all of you. It’s to be expected really.”

“Fuck You, Schnee!”

Blake snorts a laugh and stands up to head into the kitchen as Weiss and Yang begin to argue, with Ruby unhelpfully throwing nacho chips at them both. She opens the fridge and pulls out a beer for herself, quickly opening it and taking a small sip as she leans against a countertop, a soft smile growing as she listens to the chaos in her living room. Its loud and she  _ knows  _ clean up in the morning is going to be a pain… but she loves every second that she’s in their company.

“Hey, you.” 

Blake jumps as Yang walks up to her with a warm smile, standing beside her and playfully bumping her shoulder. “Hey, yourself.”

“Are you doing okay?” Yang asks softly, her eyes bright with concern as she places a hand on Blake’s shoulder. “You usually only hide away like this when you get overwhelmed.”

“I’m fine. Just… taking a moment.” Blake says with a gentle sigh. She pauses for a moment, thinking, before she steps closer to Yang and rests her head on her shoulder. “I’ve missed this. Catching up with the girls and just… being able to have fun like this.”

“Yeah. We should do this more often… careers be willing.” Yang says with a small chuckle, exhaling slowly as she curls her arm around Blake, her thumb stroking her bicep affectionately. “I think catching up more often might be good for all of us. God knows Weiss apparently needs it. Did you see her take me out with a blue shell? That woman knows no mercy.”

“Yeah.” Blake murmurs, distracted by Yang’s warmth and the feeling of her arm around her. 

“Hey, girls? I’m sorry to cut tonight short but I have work in the morning so Ruby and I need to head off.” Weiss says apologetically from the doorway, rolling her eyes when Blake and Yang jump apart. “We want to be home for Penny, too.”

“Of course.” Blake coughs, wiping her shirt where she had accidentally spilled some of her beer and placing the bottle on the table. “We’ll walk you out.”

“Thank you.”

By the time Blake’s crawled into bed, changed into her sleepwear, Ruby and Weiss have headed home and she’s left feeling the sharp pang of nostalgia.

It had been a good night.

* * *

Later that night, Blake is up later than usual, distracted by thoughts of the day. Thoughts that most consist of Yang. She can’t sleep, replaying that moment when she and Yang had stood in each other’s arms in their kitchen, feeling each other’s breath on their lips as Yang’s fingers hold Blake’s chin tenderly. 

It doesn’t help that she finds herself missing Yang’s warmth. Sleeping near her was devastatingly comforting.

“Oh, fuck it.” Blake finally mutters to her empty room, swinging her legs out of bed and making her way to Yang’s room and knocking on her door. “Yang?”

“Come in.” 

Blake enters and closes the door before sitting in front of Yang, who’s sitting up in bed and looking at her her scroll, dressed in shorts and a tank top. She tilts her head at Blake curiously, a small smile crossing her lips as Blake shrugs at her. “Can’t sleep, huh, Belladonna?”

“No. No, I can’t.” Blake says, glancing down at her lap with a frown. She swallows, hard, and looks back up at Yang before speaking, her ears pinning back nervously. “I can’t… I have to ask you something.”

“Okay. Go ahead.” Yang says softly, her brow furrowing in concern. She places her scroll down on her bedside table and gives Blake her full attention. “What’s up?”

“Earlier today… when we were in the kitchen… were you- I mean-“ Blake closes her eyes, letting out a frustrated huff as her fingers dig into the fabric of her sweat pants. She opens them and stares at Yang, voice shaking slightly as fear and nerves make themselves known. “Were you going to kiss me?”

“ _ Fuck.”  _ Yang sighs, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. “Shit. Ye-Yeah. I think I was. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have- I should  _ not  _ have done that.”

“Oh.” Blake says quietly, moving to hold her elbows anxiously, lowering her head as her ears droop sadly. “You… regret it.”

“No! I mean yes! I mean-“ Yang groans, sitting up and dropping her face to her hands and sighing heavily. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me.” Blake says softly, biting her lip as she looks at a frustrated, anxious Yang. 

“Fine. Honestly? Yeah. I wanted to kiss you.” Yang admits, dropping her hands to her lap with a shaky breath. “I- I  _ really  _ wanted to kiss you but I’m glad I didn’t.”

“Oh.” Blake whispers, eyes burning with the threat of tears as her heart twisted painfully. “I see.” She hates how small and hurt she sounds, even to her own ears. 

“Wait- are you- oh God. No. No, please don’t cry.” Yang says anxiously, scooting forward to cup Blake’s jaw with her hands. She brings Blake’s head up gently and her eyes flash with pain at the sight of tears on Blake’s cheeks. “Nononono. Shit, please don’t cry. Please-“

“I wanted you to.” Blake admits with a shaky breath as Yang wipes her tears away. “ _ Fuck.  _ I’m sorry. I shouldn’t- I should just- I should just go-“

“No! Please- just stay.” Yang whispers as she presses her forehead against Blake’s, her voice sounding as shaky as Blake feels. “I- I’m glad that I didn’t kiss you because- because you’re dealing with so much. I don’t- I didn’t want to take advantage of you or- or do something that you didn’t want.” Yang pauses, swallowing hard as she gazes sadly at Blake, her own eyes wet with tears. “Please don’t cry. God,  _ please _ don’t cry.”

“Do-“ Blake hesitates, throat tight, terrified that she’s setting herself up to fall. “Do you still want to kiss me?”

“...  _ yes.” _

“Then just fucking do it.”

There’s a pause, filled with all of the tension between them, before Yang snaps. She holds Blake’s jaw firmly, kissing her hard. Blake gasps, her eyes drifting shut as her hands move to Yang’s shoulders, then to her neck, her arms curling tightly around her in a desperate attempt to be close to her. Yang falls to her back with a grunt, though she’s quickly distracted by Blake eagerly following her and claiming another kiss. Yang rolls them over so she’s hovering over Blake, pinning her wrists gently to the bed as she gently nips at Blake’s bottom lip with her teeth. Her hands move to entwine her fingers with Blake’s, gasping in surprise as Blake squeezes her hands back. Blake lets out a soft whimper, tears still falling from her eyes when Yang pulls away, both of their chests heaving.

“Shhh.” Yang soothes as she lets go of Blake’s hands to brace her arms by her head, leaning down to kiss Blake’s tears away, lingering with each brush of her lips against her skin. “Please don’t cry.”

“Yang?” Blake says through a heavy breath, her hands moving from Yang’s hair to hold her jaw tenderly.

“Yeah?”

“I-“ am in love with you. It’s just five more little words but they get stuck in Blake’s throat. She swallows thickly and exhales slowly. She can’t say them. She doesn’t feel ready  _ to  _ say them. But she can still confess, in some small way. “I have…  _ feelings  _ for you.”

“Hah.” Yang huffs a soft, watery laugh, her smile shining brightly, even in the dark of her room. “I have feelings for you too, Blake.”

Blake feels fresh tears spring to her eyes and she leans up to claim another kiss, though this one is far softer than their last. Yang pulls back to rest her forehead against Blake’s, closing her eyes as their chest heave with breathless pants. 

“God, you’re  _ so _ beautiful.” Yang says finally, as she opens her eyes and gazes down at Blake, who begins to slowly trace Yang’s face. “You have…  _ no  _ idea how hard it’s been… to see you every single day and have to hold myself back from letting something slip.”

“I- me?! What about you?” Blake protests through a small sniffle, her hands framing Yang’s jaw. “You’re  _ stunning.” _

Yang silences her with a quick kiss, giggling a watery laugh when Blake tries to follow after her when she pulls away. She smiles when Blake yawns, brushing her hair from her face as she blinks up at her sleepily. “We… it’s late. We should probably get some sleep, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Do… I mean… you don’t have to… but would you like to stay with me tonight?” Yang asks, sounding far shyer than Blake has ever heard from her before. “Just to sleep! I mean… I don’t know what you want from…  _ us _ but like… I don’t-“

“Yang. It’s fine. I know what you meant.” Blake murmurs, swallowing thickly when Yang grins nervously down at her. “Um… yeah. Yeah, I’d like to stay with you.”

“Okay. Um… come on in, then.”

Within moments, Blake’s wiggling under the covers and hesitantly,  _ shyly, _ resting her head on Yang’s chest and listening to the sound of her heart beneath her ear. She can tell that Yang’s just as nervous as she is. Admittedly, they had shared beds in the past but now…  _ it just feels different. _

“We can talk in the morning, right?” Yang asks softly, cautiously curling her arms around Blake as Blake presses into her side.

“Yeah.”

“O-Okay. Um… goodnight?”

“Goodnight, Yang.”

Blake lets out a small, surprised squeak as Yang kisses the top of her head shyly and pulls her closer, her hand nervously tracing patterns into her back. Blake lets out a shaky breath and leans up to kiss Yang’s jaw, her ears flicking when Yang lets out a small squeak of her own. She lays her head back down and closes her eyes, heart spilling over with love as Yang begins to sing softly into her ears, voice soothing Blake easily into sleep.

_ “I see your monsters, I see your pain. _

_ Tell me your problems, I’ll chase them away. _

_ I’ll be your lighthouse, I’ll make it okay. _

_ When I see your monsters, I’ll stand there so brave and chase them all away.” _

  
  
  



	13. The Morning After...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Blake wakes up and things are very different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4391 words. *sigh* apparently, this fic is keeping me captive lately 😂

The following morning, Blake opens her eyes and blinks sleepily at the sight of an equally sleepy pair of eyes watching her quietly. It takes her a moment longer to remember what happened the night previous and to process the fact that she and Yang were laying in Yang’s bed, foreheads pressed gently together as Yang smiles tiredly at her. Her skin heats up and she offers a small, shy smile of her own before shifting her mouth closer to Yang’s, slow and unsure. Yang follows her lead and soon, the two women are sharing clumsy, sleepy little kisses, interrupted by giddy giggles. Eventually, their kisses become lazy, their smiles too wide and bright to allow them to kiss properly. Instead, they press their smiles together happily, occasionally kissing the other’s smile and drawing a giggle out of her.

“Good morning.” Yang whispers, reaching up to cup Blake’s jaw tenderly, giggling as Blake sleepily steals another kiss. 

“It certainly is.” Blake mumbles, sighing softly as she reaches for Yang’s waist and tugs her closer, relishing in the feeling of Yang stroking her cheeks. “Are you okay?”

“I’m tired. Usually I sleep in a little later than this but I gotta say… waking up a little earlier is so worth it if I get to see your pretty face.”

“I-Yang!” Blake groans in protests, face burning as she rolls away and onto her back, ears pinned against her head in embarrassment. “No. I’m a mess in the mornings.”

“A  _ gorgeous  _ mess.”

Blake growls under her breath and rolls over, cupping Yang’s jaw and kissing her firmly. Yang lets out a muffled noise of surprise as she falls into her back, her hands resting against Blake’s hips as Blake hovers over her. She pulls back, staring at a flushed Yang before her ears press back anxiously.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have- was that okay? I didn’t-“

“Oh, that was  _ so  _ okay.” Yang says, sounding faintly dazed, a goofy smile spreading across her lips as Blake gazes down at her in concern. “I like it when you’re feisty.”

“Oh.” Blake says softly, swallowing thickly and glancing away as her brows pinch together. “Right.”

“What? Did you expect me to be mad?” Yang asks, sounding more than a little unsure and confused. A sigh escapes her when Blake nods hesitantly and her hands rub Blake’s sides soothingly. “Why would I be mad?”

“It’s… not you.” Blake mutters, curling her fingers into Yang’s shirt as a shaky, nervous breath escapes her. “I’m just…”

“It’s okay. You can tell me anything.”

“Adam never- well, he never liked me… um…  _ taking control  _ like that.” Blake says, wincing as embarrassment and shame sinks in. “I was never allowed to so… um-“

“That stuck with you.” Yang says quietly, and when Blake looks up, her eyes have hardened, her jaw setting angrily as she pulls Blake closer to her. “I know I’ve said this a lot since we reunited Blake but  _ fuck that guy. _ ” Gently, she pushes Blake off of her and sits up, running her hand through her hair irritably. “Like… what the  _ fuck  _ kind of asshole makes you feel  _ guity  _ and  _ wrong  _ for that? What  _ piece of shit  _ tries to put their partner in a cage like that?”

“Adam… was a lot of things.” Blake says with a small shrug when Yang looks at her, her gaze softening at the sight of Blake holding her elbows anxiously. “He had a lot of rules. Sometimes…  _ most  _ of the time, I didn’t even know what they were until I broke them and got punished for it.”

“You make it sound so normal.”

“It  _ was  _ normal for me. That- that was my reality for a long time. He- Listen, Yang.” Blake inhales deeply, hands shaking as they head into the conversation she  _ knew  _ she had to have with Yang, for both of their sakes. “I…  _ really  _ like you. Like I said last night… I have feelings for you. But… I’m not exactly… I have a lot of baggage. Scars too. And with Adam trying to scare me or threaten me or whatever the fuck he’s doing… I don’t want you to feel obligated-“

“I don’t.” Yang says easily, reaching out for Blake’s hand and pausing before turning her hand so it was palm up, letting Blake decide if she wants to be touched. Without a second though, Blake places her hand in Yang’s and sighs shakily as she takes it gently, brushing her thumb across Blake’s knuckles tenderly. “I know about your baggage and scars, Blake. I’ve seen you at your worst, when you were just starting to heal from everything he did to you. It didn’t scare me off then and it won’t scare me off now. Not even with that creep trying to do what he’s doing. I… if you want this, then I do too.”

“... I do want this but… you mean a lot to me, Yang. I don’t… I don’t want to fuck up the friendship we already have.”

“We won’t. Look… my mum used to talk about how we all have somebody that we’re destined to have in our lives, one way or another. I know this is going to sound  _ fucking  _ insane, but… I like to think that you’re that somebody for me.” Yang says, her voice becoming smaller and more shy as she averts her gaze towards their hands. “I like to think that, even dating isn’t for us, we’ll still have an important place in each other’s lives.”

“I- I really like that.” Blake says with a shaky smile before letting out a shuddering breath. “So… is this- are we really going to do this? Be a  _ thing? _ ”

“I want to. Is that what you want?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.” Blake says as Yang’s smile grows a little bigger. “I do.”

“Then… I guess this is happening.” Yang says with a nervous laugh as Blake smiles a watery smile at her. She pauses, seemingly anxious before reaching over with her free hand to curl a finger under Blake’s chin to tilt her head up gently. “I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.”

“I know you won’t. Um… is it… alright if… Can I kiss you?” Blake asks,  _ needing  _ to express what she finds herself failing to say as her heart swells with adoration.

“Well… I wouldn’t be  _ opposed  _ to it…” Yang says with a small giggle, grinning goofily at Blake as she snorts a laugh. “I’m also  _ very  _ open to some morning cuddles if you’re okay with that?”

“I… think I can live with that.” Blake murmurs softly as she presses her lips to Yang’s, her heart fluttering as Yang sighs happily into her mouth. A gasp escapes Blake as Yang lets herself fall into her back, pulling Blake down on top of her and wrapping her arms loosely around Blake’s waist. Blake pulls back and gazes down at Yang, her throat growing tight at the sight of Yang looking back at her with flushed cheeks and bright eyes as her hair spills across her pillow. Yang is…  _ effortlessly  _ beautiful and Blake finds herself blinking away tears because of that fact alone. “You’re gorgeous.” Blake breathes, leaning down to kiss the corner of Yang’s mouth and peppering small kisses along her jaw, cheeks and nose. As Yang begins to wiggle and laugh underneath her, Blake finds herself grinning and laughing too, though she never loses focus upon her goal of kissing the entirety of Yang’s face before burrowing her face into her neck and inhaling deeply, a content hum leaving her as Yang begins to slowly rub her back. 

“Blake? Um… are… you sure you want this?” Yang asks hesitantly, nervously, as she rests her hands on Blake’s back. “Like… I don’t want to force-“

“You’re not. I want this.” Blake reassures, placing a nervous kiss against Yang’s neck, her ears flicking as Yang’s pulse jumps beneath her lips. “But… Can we take things slow? Please?”

“Of course.” Yang murmurs softly, her voice shaking slightly as she wraps her arms around Blake in a tight hug. “I was kind of gonna ask you the same thing, honestly.”

“Um… Yang?”

“Yeah?”

“Would- I mean- do you maybe-“ Blake stumbles over her words, face and neck burning as Yang waits patiently, fingers lightly scratching at Blake’s back through her shirt. “Can I take you out? Like… on a date?”

“Oh! Ye-Yeah! That’s- yes. Absolutely!” Yang stutters, her heart rate spiking beneath Blake’s chest. 

“Okay. Okay. Good.” Blake giggles nervously, burying her face into Yang’s neck and exhaling slowly. “I’ll… plan something, then.”

“I mean… it doesn’t have to anything speci-“

“Yes, it does.” Blake interrupts, very much  _ not pouting  _ against Yang’s skin. “If I’m going to romance a girl, then I’m going to do it right.”

Because God knows that Adam hadn’t done that for her. If Blake was going to finally take steps into her first relationship since leaving Adam, she wants to treasure each second, to make sure that she  _ never  _ makes Yang feel the way Adam made Blake feel. He ensnared her with his charm, trapped her beneath his thumb and showed his true colours as he overshadowed her own. 

And as Blake curls into Yang, listening to the steady way she breathes, feeling the reassuring rise and fall of her chest, she promises herself that her colours will  _ never  _ overpower Yang’s.

* * *

Blake spends a  _ week _ planning their date. Not just small moments, either, but genuinely sitting down in front of her laptop and spending  _ hours  _ researching various ideas that might be perfect for Yang.

Of course… She does break up her research with filming her videos, trying to hide the fact that she and Yang were a thing in said videos and exchanging various kisses and cuddles with Yang because God help her, Yang’s irresistible.

But eventually… she has what she considers to be the perfect day planned out… starting with breakfast.

“Yang?” Blake says softly, gently shaking awake her… best friend? Girlfriend? Her date? She still wasn’t sure what label to put to Yang. “Hey. Rise and shine.”

“It’s too early.” Yang whines, pulling the blanket over her head and wiggling further into her bed. “You should go back to bed. Or better yet, you can come and cuddle with me in  _ my _ and we can nap together.”

“No, because I’m taking you out on a date today, remember? We need to have breakfast and get ready because it’s a bit of drive.” Blake says with a huff, hoping that her nerves aren’t as apparent as they feel. She sighs heavily and watches as Yang peeks out from her nest of blankets, eyes squinting at her suspiciously. 

“What have you planned? You  _ never  _ do anything halfway, Blake.” Yang says with a small snort, her voice low and gravelly from sleep. “Where are we going?”

“That’s a surprise.” Blake says softly, hesitating before leaning forward and tugging Yang’s blanket away from her face to press a shy kiss to her nose. “But I can meet you halfway with breakfast in bed… and yes. I followed a recipe again without destroying our kitchen, thank you.”

Yang sits up, eyes lighting up as Blake nods at the serving tray on the bedside table, a slow and shy grin crossing Yang’s face as she meets Blake’s eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to spoil me?”

“Because you deserve it. Now…” Blake feels her cat ears flick nervously and she exhales slowly. “Did you… want to eat together?”

“Obviously. Get in here, bumblebee.”

Blake’s quick to grab the serving tray, carrying fruit, bacon and eggs as well as coffee and tea, and places it over Yang’s lap, giggling quietly as Yang immediately goes for the coffee and hums happily.

“So…” Yang says softly, as they begin eating, gently bumping Blake with her shoulder as she gives her an excited grin. “You’re  _ really  _ not gonna tell me where you’re taking me?”

“No, but I can tell you that you’re going to want to wear clothes that you can run around in easily. Your good runners too. Oh! And pack a change of  _ nice,  _ casual clothes and shoes too. It’s going to be a big day.”

“Oh my  _ God. _ What have you done, you  _ dork?! _ ”

“You’ll see.” Blake says, giggling when Yang huffs at her with a pout. A helpless smile spreads across her face when Blake kisses her cheek, though, and she leans against her as they eat, both content to exist in this quiet moment together.

* * *

“Blake! Seriously! We’ve been driving for five  _ hours! _ Can I take off my blindfold now?”

“No. And stop being a baby. We’ve only been driving for two.” Blake huffs softly, laughing as Yang lets out another whine and slumps in her seat, resting her head against the car window as Blake drives. “We’re here anyway. You can take it off in a moment.” Blake chuckles quietly as she pulls into the parking lot of a large building and parks the car before jumping out and jogging to Yang’s side. She opens her door and guides her date out of the car and shuts the door, locking it before guiding Yang onto the footpath and reaching up to the blindfold and removing it. “What do you think?”

“... no… way. No  _ fucking  _ way!” Yang gasps excitedly, a huge grin crossing her face as she looks in between Blake and the large sign next to the doorway in front of them. “You seriously brought me to XTreme Lazer Tag for our first date?! How did you even pull this off?! It’s been booked out for months!”

“Oh, I have my ways.” Blake says cryptically, despite knowing full well that her “ways” involve staying up until four in the morning just in case somebody canceled. “Now… come on. Let’s see if all of those extreme challenge videos of yours can stop you from getting your ass handed to you.”

“Wait… we’re going up  _ against  _ each other?”

“I mean… if you’re that scared of me, we can be on the same team, Yang.” Blake says lowly into her ear, feeling an immense amount of delight when Yang shivers. “But I was looking forward to hunting you down.”

“I like it when you’re feisty.” Yang laughs softly, her cheeks flushing as she looks away for a moment before she turns back to Blake, eyes wide with insult. “And I’m not scared! Me and my team are gonna kick your ass!”

“Uh-huh.” Blake arches a brow, trying very hard not to giggle as Yang begins to fidget impatiently. “Then how about we go and see what you’re capable of, sweetheart?”

Like a bullet, Yang’s grabbing her hand and gently tugging her along, pulling a delighted laugh from Blake as she bounces on her feet excitedly. It is, she decides, one of the many adorable things about Yang. It takes very little time for them to be placed into their teams and as Blake watches Yang talking to her new teammates, she can’t help but bite her lip at the sight of Yang dressed in her purple gear, contrasting Blake’s own yellow gear. 

Yang looks good in Blake’s colours, Blake finds herself thinking, just before a whistle blares and the teams run out onto the battlefield. Blake’s quick and merciless, taking down her opponents without mercy with her lazer gun. Her advanced hearing helps her sneak up on her targets, helps her hear when she’s being stalked and gives her the opportunity to turn her hunter into her prey. But it all comes to a crashing halt when she finds herself pinned up against a wall and glaring into the orange safety glasses of her date.

“Hey.” Yang grins cheekily at her, winking flirtatiously as Blake growls in frustration. “You come here often?”

“First time actually. Promise to be gentle?” Blake says coyly, feeling a sense of pride when Yang freezes, stumbling over her words as she sputters. “What’s wrong, Yang? I would ask if the cat’s got your tongue but I’m afraid we haven’t gotten  _ that  _ far yet.”

“You’re playing dirty.” Yang growls playfully, narrowing her eyes at Blake, her arm gently bracing across her chest and pinning her to the wall as her free hand holds her lazer gun to Blake’s head, aiming for a headshot. “You’re  _ flirting. _ That’s low, Belladonna.”

“No, Yang.  _ This  _ is low.” With that, Blake reaches up to grab Yang’s collar and tugs her forward into a kiss, swallowing her gasp of shock and humming into her mouth as Yang’s hands find their way to brace against the wall, her gun falling to the floor, forgotten as she loses herself to Blake’s kiss. It takes little effort to turn a distracted Yang until she’s the one pressed against the wall and with a final kiss… Blake raises her gun and aims for Yang’s head, taking her headshot and running away.

“Wha-Hey! That’s not fair! Get back here, you twerp!”

“Come get me yourself, coward!” Blake taunts, grinning in delight as Yang fumbles for her gun. “Try not to lose  _ too  _ badly, Yang!”

And with that… Blake takes off, with Yang hot on her heels as they run through the battlefield until their game is over and it’s time to get lunch.

* * *

“So… What was that you said about kicking my ass?”

“Shuddup.”

Blake giggles, for perhaps the millionth time that day, and takes a sip of her wine as she glances around the small restaurant she had taken Yang to after they changed their clothes. When she glances back at her, Yang’s watching her with her head in her hands and a soft smile on her face. “What?” She asks, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear as Yang’s smile grows a little bigger. “What is it?”

“Just… taking in the pretty view.” Yang says softly, chuckling lightly when Blake coughs and looks away. “You’re so cute.”

“Oh, shut up. You’re the cute one.”

“No-“

“Your food, ladies.” Their waitress says as she comes over and places their meals in front of them. She pauses, smiling at Yang and placing her hand on her shoulder and squeezing lightly. “I hope you enjoy it.” She says with a coy smile as she walks away, her hand lingering on Yang’s shoulder. 

Blake feels the sharp pang of jealousy bite at her heart and she shoves it down as she picks at her food. There was nothing to be jealous of. She couldn’t let Yang know that-

“Oh my God. Are you jealous?”

Too late.

“What? No!” Blake protests, glaring at Yang as she arches an amused brow. “I’m not  _ jealous. _ Why would I be jealous? This is literally our first date. Why the  _ hell  _ would I be jealous?”

“Because you have feelings for me and a waitress just tried to flirt with me?” Yang suggests, tilting her head with an amused little smile. “Oh, come on. It’s just me, Blake. You can tell me if you’re a little jealous. It’s perfectly natural.”

“I’m not jealous. I don’t own you. Jealousy is an ugly thing, Yang. It’s possessive. I don’t like it.”

“I don’t think it's possessive. Sure, some people turn it into a possessive thing. But most of the time it’s just… a normal emotion. Like anger.” Yang says, her brows pinching together in concern as Blake pokes at her food. “Anger is normal, as long as you’re exhibiting it in healthy ways. Same thing with jealousy. You didn’t get angry or shout. You didn’t make any unfair accusations. You just felt a little jealous because it’s a normal emotion to experience. Kind of doesn’t help that this is all so new to both of us, honestly.” Yang smiles reassuringly, reaching across the table and gently takes one of Blake’s hands in her own and brings it to her mouth in a gentle kiss. “Feeling jealous isn’t a bad thing, Blake. It’s how you respond to it. But I will say that you have nothing to be jealous about.” Yang’s expression softens and she turns Blake’s hand over to press a kiss to her palm, smiling against her skin gently. “I wouldn’t want to be here with anyone else but you.”

“I- Okay. Thank you, I guess.” Blake mumbles, her cheeks flushing as she eats a mouthful of her pasta. Yang doesn’t let go of her hand and Blake’s in no rush to take it back. 

“Okay… So… what’s next on your big day out?” Yang says curiously, smirking lightly. “Because I don’t know much better of a first date you can get, Blake.”

“Well… i was thinking that we could go watch a movie and then, for dinner, I’ve got something special planned.”

“Ooh! A special dinner? I might swoon.”

“You’re such a nerd.”

“Eh, you’re the one taking me out on a date, Blake. I’d say that makes you just as nerdy by association.”

“I think I can live with that.” Blake says softly, letting her expression soften as Yang’s smile becomes more gentle. Simultaneously, they lean forward and share a soft, gentle kiss across the table before continuing their meal and talking about everything and anything that comes to mind until it’s time to leave for the movie.

Naturally, Blake had chosen a romantic film.

* * *

“Hey, I remember this place. We used to come here to chill out when we needed a break from everything.”

Blake smiles fondly as she and Yang wander up a steep, grassy hill towards an old oak tree, just outside of the city limits of Vale. The sky is slowly growing darker and a chill is starting to settle across her bare arms, making her envious of the hoodie that Yang wears. She slides her hand into Yang’s and watches her face as they finally reach the tree, watching the way it lights up with surprised delight at the sight of a candlelit picnic waiting for them underneath the tree.

“Oh geez… you went all out today.” Yang says softly, turning to Blake with a shy smile as her cheeks turn a dark red. 

“Ruby and Weiss helped prepare this while I kept you busy with the rest of our day. I… was kind of hoping we could just… sit and watch the sunset together? There’s some simple snacks in the basket and drinks… I thought it might be nice.”

“It is  _ very  _ nice.” Yang murmurs, as she steps close to Blake and curls her hands around her waist and tugs her closer. She rests her forehead against Blake’s and smiles softly at her, humming happily when Blake reaches up to cup her jaw between her hands tenderly. “I don’t know how I’m  _ ever  _ going to beat this.”

“You don’t have to.” Blake says softly, stepping closer and letting her breath brush across Yang’s lips. “I think that… you could ask me to go dumper diving with you and I’d  _ still _ think that it’s romantic, as long as I’m with you.”

“You… are  _ so fucking  _ cute.” Yang laughs softly, leaning forward to kiss Blake, smiling against her lips when Blake lets out an appreciative hum. “You wanna go sit down?”

Time passes by quickly, the sun setting as they eat and drink and hold one another close, stealing kisses and giggling foolishing against each other’s mouths each time. Far too soon, they’re returning home and Blake, much to Yang’s surprise, walks her date to her bedroom door and earns an amused smirk.

“Wow. Really? Right to my door?”

“I am nothing if not a gentlewoman.” Blake laughs softly, biting her lip as she lays her hands almost shy around Yang’s waist. “I… enjoyed today.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Yang says softly, as she drapes her arms over Blake’s shoulders and smiles sweetly at her. “I always suspected you were a romantic.”

“What was your first clue?”

“You crying over Beauty and the Beast every dang time, for starters.”

“Wow. Rude.” Blake huffs, unable to keep her smile off her face for long when Yang butts their heads together with a small chuckle. Her thumbs brush Yang’s sides nervously and she glances up at her shyly. “So… do I get a goodnight kiss?”

“You’re going all shy on me after that stunt you pulled during laser tag? Really?” Yang teases softly, though her expression softens when Blake averts her gaze, unsure and nervous. “Hey. I’m just teasing. I know that just because you’re okay with it in one situation, it’s not going to be the same everywhere.” Yang’s fingers fiddle with Blake’s hair, waiting for Blake to look back at her with a small smile. “But you’re right. I guess this  _ is  _ the part where I kiss you, huh?”

“Preferably sooner rather than later.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I’ll die. I’ll respect your wishes but I’ll definitely die.”

“Oh no. We can’t have that. I still want to be the one to take  _ you  _ out on a date.” Yang murmurs, brushing her lips teasingly against Blake’s. “Come here, baby.” She whispers, gently kissing Blake and tilting her head for a better angle as Blake pulls her closer. She can feel Yang’s finger thread gently into her hair as her hands run up and down Yang’s sides, her fingers feeling the way Yang shudders beneath her touch.

“Wow.” Yang mumbles, as they pull away, her lilac gaze dazed as Blake giggles at her. “You’re… wow.”

“Good night, Yang.”

“Yeah. ‘Night.”

Blake wanders back to her room, though can feel Yang watching her go. She opens her door and turns around to meet Yang’s eyes, both of them flushing as Yang gets caught staring at her. She pauses before huffing to herself and running back to Yang, claiming another quick kiss, barely acknowledging the surprised and pleased sounding hum Yang gives before running back to her room and shutting the door, just barely catching a glance of Yang as she grins foolishing and fist pumps.

“Oh my God.” Blake breathes out slowly, biting her bottom lip as she smiles and leans back against the door. In a daze, she wanders back to her bed and collapses on it with a foolish giggle, muffling a squeal into her pillow like she was a lovestruck school girl.

But as she rolls onto her back, hugging a pillow tightly to her chest as she grins to herself, she thinks that perhaps lovestruck isn’t too far off the mark.

  
  



	14. The Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the relationship between our favourite vloggers grows, Blake finds herself surprised when Yang comes home one day.

The days go on and, as they do, Blake finds that she and Yang grow closer with each passing moment. Gentle hands often found their way to shoulders when she was editing, carefully rubbing tension away as she worked. Lips pressed against her head, invading her filming when Yang had a sudden burst of affection that she couldn’t hold back. Tender, lilac gazes would watch her, seemingly content to stare at her hours if given the opportunity.

Well… it’s not like Blake wasn’t just as guilty, she thinks to herself one morning as she’s preparing her tea.

As had become expected, a shambling figure enters the kitchen, still dressed in her sleepwear and barely awake, to make her way over to Blake, and curl her arms around her waist and lean heavily against her with a tired whine.

“Good morning. Your coffee’s already on the table.” Blake says softly, shivering as Yang nuzzles against her neck tiredly, her fingers playing with the hem of her shirt absentmindedly. “You have to meet up with Pyrrha for that new challenge video, right? When do you have to leave?”

“Twelve.” Yang mumbles, barely coherent as she presses herself against Blake’s back with a soft groan. “I hate mornings.”

“Don’t be such a baby.” Blake huffs, swallowing thickly as Yang begins to place gentle, sleepy kisses against her neck.

“I’m not a baby. Mornings just suck.”

“Or… you’re just a big baby.” Blake says teasingly, giggling lightly as she tilts her head to give Yang better access to her neck. She closes her eyes, tea forgotten, as Yang kisses the crook of her neck and makes a sleepy trail of kisses up her neck and along her jaw, each one just as uncoordinated as the last. As Yang’s lips brush the corner of her mouth, Blake turns her head and kisses Yang back, reaching up with her hand to hold the back of Yang’s head. Yang lets out a pleased noise in her throat before she gently turns Blake around, pinning her against the counter with care as she wraps her arms loosely around her waist. Blake, in turn, lazily drapes her arms around Yang’s neck and snorts a laugh as Yang peppers her lips with tiny, tired kisses before pulling back to rest their foreheads together.

“ _Now_ it’s a good morning.” Yang says, with a goofy, dazed smile. Her gaze is warm and full of affection, her hands tracing gentle patterns against Blake’s back. “Blake first… then coffee. Best way to wake up.”

“Oh? I take priority over coffee? That’s pretty big, Yang.” Blake teases, giggling lightly as Yang pouts. Blake brings up a hand to cup Yang’s jaw, brushing her thumb over her pouting lip and melting when Yang kisses the pad of her thumb quickly. “I feel special.”

“You’re like… top priority.” Yang grumbles, leaning her cheek into Blake’s palm and letting out a content sigh. “You make me happy. You know that, right, baby?”

The endearment falls from Yang’s lips for the first time since their first date and Blake feels a flustered heat creep up her neck towards her ears. She giggles, ducking her head and biting her lip to fight back against the embarrassingly huge smile threatening to cross her lips as her hands fall to Yang’s shirt collar and play with it nervously.

“Blake? Are you okay?” Yang asks softly, sounding a little concerned as she gently curls a finger under Blake’s chin and lifts it up, her brows furrowed in confusion as she looks at Blake’s flushed face. “Baby? What’s wro-“ Yang pauses as Blake’s flush grows darker, yet another giggle falling from her lips as her smile grows. “Oh. _Oh!_ Hang on… do you _like_ it when I call you baby?”

“What? No. Of course not. I’m just… embarrassed.” Blake defends, pushing at Yang’s chest and looking away, her ears pinning against her head irritably. “Stop looking so smug!”

“Really? Embarrassed? _That’s_ the story you’re going with?” Yang says with no small amount of cockiness in her voice. She’s smirking at Blake now, all tired now pushed to the side in favour of teasing her. She leans forward and kisses The spot just next to Blake’s ear, huffing a soft laugh as Blake growls in exasperation. “Your face is all red, Blake. You’ve let out the most girlish giggle that I’ve ever heard from you each time I said it. Your ears flick each time I say it. You can’t hide that gorgeous smile of yourself… but sure. You’re just embarrassed… _baby.”_

“Shut up.” Blake growls, though the effect is ruined by the shiver that courses through her as the endearment affects her. 

“Shut me up yourself, co-mph!”

Blake pulls Yang down, kissing her firmly, smirking against her lips as Yang eagerly kisses her back. She curls her arms tightly around Yang’s neck, trying to press herself as close as possible for a moment until she pulls back, arching a brow up at a now equally flushed Yang. “Now who’s the flustered one?”

“Shouldn’t your tea be done steeping by now?”

Blake blinks as a realisation comes to mind and she quickly turns around as Yang snorts a laugh. “Shit! Go and drink your coffee or something and stop distracting me!”

“Not my fault you have the hots for me.”

“I can and will kick you ass, Xiao Long!”

“Oh, please. As if you would _ever_ hurt me.”

Blake quickly finishes her tea and turns around to look at Yang, now sitting at their table and drinking her coffee. She’s grinning around her mug, seeming far too cocky for Blake to handle. But it’s her words that catch Blake’s attention and she feels her gaze soften as she walks over to place her tea on the table next to Yang’s coffee and sits on her lap to easily cup her jaw before resting their foreheads together softly, watching as smug lilac shifts into a stunned stare. 

“Not if I can help it.” Blake murmurs softly, pulling back to kiss Yang’s nose tenderly as strong arms wrap around her waist and pull her close.

“Baby.” Yang breathes, burying her face into Blake’s neck, all earlier teasing gone from her voice as Blake leans against her. 

“... I lied earlier. I… _do_ like it when you call that.”

Yang laughs, kissing her cheek and smiling against her skin as they both enjoy the morning sun and each other’s company before they have to get their day started.

* * *

“Okay. I’m going to be honest here… this product is… not great.” 

Blake holds up a bottle of face cream and shakes her head irritably at the camera. “It barely gets any makeup off and, as you just saw, the damn thing started to make my skin burn. Maybe it’s just me, maybe I got a bad bottle or maybe I’m just not using it right. But I followed the instructions to a T and it has nothing that I’m allergic to in it. By all means, it _should not have burned like that._ Especially since the splotch test didn’t burn my wrist. I _don’t_ recommend it, especially if you have sensitive skin. As always, if you’re going to try any new makeup or skin products, do a spot test on the inside of your arm before going anywhere near your face. No amount of makeup is worth putting your health and well-being at risk.”

With a heavy sigh, Blake stands and turns off her camera before collapsing into the couch, scowling and rubbing her stinging cheeks with an irritated snort. She already planned on sending a heavily worded email to the company. If it was one thing that aggravated her, it was a company's tendency to put their client’s wellbeing last for the sake of a profit. She’d have to keep an eye on her skin and, if it gets worse, take photos and head to her doctor for a checkup. For now, her skin wasn’t as on fire as it had been and she’d taken the cream off as soon as it started to burn. She _should_ be okay.

Moments later, the sound of keys jingling in the front door catch her attention, as does the familiar voice muttering expletives under her breath. Blake’s scowl gives way to a delighted smile as she hears Yang enter their house, placing something down on the hallway table and removing her runners before making her way to Blake and, much to Blake’s surprise, plopping herself down in her lap with a grin that falters slightly as she looks at Blake’s reddened face. “Holy shit. What the fuck happened to you?”

“Tested a new face cream. It burned. Took it off and I’m planning to talk to the company about it before I post the video. But for now… Distract me from my horrifying ordeal?” Blake asks, pouting sadly up at her, purposely dropping her ears sadly and staring up at Yang with wide eyes and a pouting lip. 

“Aw. Poor baby.” Yang coos softly, leaning forward to kiss Blake’s face, tenderly brushing her lips across her reddened skin with great care. “But I’ve got something that’ll cheer you up!”

Quick as a bullet, and much to Blake’s disgruntled disappointment, Yang jumps off of Blake’s lap and trots back to the hall and returns with a wooden box and a bouquet of sunflowers. Blake lets out a surprised gasp and feels her face burn for an entirely _new_ reason as Yang passes her the flowers and claims a quick kiss before sitting next to her. “Yang! Why are- what’s the occasion?!”

“No occasion. I just… noticed that you’ve been really anxious lately, with your channel and Adam and, well… I just wanted to cheer you up a little.” Yang says with an embarrassed little shrug, fiddling with the wooden box in her hands. “Plus, Pyrrha and I stopped by this cute little thrift store and I saw this and thought of you… so I bought it.”

“You are… _such_ a goofball. You don’t have to _get_ me anything to cheer me up. You do that just by existing, Yang.” Blake murmurs, tucking her hair behind her ear shyly as Yang takes the flowers and places them on the coffee table before handing Blake the box. She examines it curiously, running her hand over it. It’s old, antique even. She shoots Yang a glance, eyes narrowed in playful suspicion before opening it and gasping at the array of old daggers laid carefully inside, each one unique and ornate.

“I know that you had a collection back when you lived with him and I know that you had to leave them behind. I know they’re not exactly the same but… I dunno. I thought that maybe… you might like it?” Yang says, though a worried noise escapes her throat as Blake sniffles, turning away to wipe her eyes with a shaky breath. “Wait- shit. I’m sorry! Did- do they bring up bad memories? I’m sorry! I didn’t mean-“

Blake leans over to gently kiss Yang’s rambling lips, smiling tearfully as she pulls away and gazes at her through watery eyes. “No, Yang. They’re beautiful. I’m just… nobody’s ever done anything like this for me before. I- this means a lot to me. Thank you.” She murmurs softly, kissing Yang softly again and again, smiling when Yang gently cups her jaw, thumb brushing her cheek tenderly before Blake pulls away and gazes down at her collection of daggers with a happy smile, her gaze drifting to one in particular with an ornate dragon decorating the handle. 

“So you like it?”

“Yang… I _love_ it.” Blake sighs softly, gazing at her with a tender expression. She clears her throat roughly and wipes her eyes again with an embarrassed laugh. “Um… we should probably get those flowers in some water, huh?”

“Yeah.” Yang says softly, leaning forward to press their foreheads together for a moment.

Blake closes her eyes and hums happily, wondering what it was that she did so right in a past life that she got spend time with Yang in this one.


	15. The Livestream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Blake keeps Yang company during a charity livestream.

“Bitch, I just healed you! Now you gonna come and shoot me?! Hell naw! We ain’t messin’ around now! Get your ass back here!”

Blake bites her lip as she walks into the living room to lean over the back of the couch, arms crossed as Yang growls irritably at the camera as she tries desperately to shoot another player on her screen. 

“Are ya winning, friend?” Blake drawls, smirking when Yang shoots her a quick glare before an explosion is heard. They both turn to the screen and watch as Yang’s character is literally blown sky high before falling back down to the ground in a heap. “I’ll take that as a no.”

“Everyone is ganging up on me.” Yang complains loudly, throwing her hands up as the screen sends her back to the game lobby. “Ugh. Alright. Let’s see what you beautiful dumbasses are saying now.”

Blake chuckles softly and sits beside Yang, glancing over her shoulder at the livestream chat. Yang was two hours into a twenty-four charity stream for the Polendina Prosthetics Project and still wasn’t running out of steam. Blake had offered to step in and make sure Yang didn’t fall asleep and it was proving to be immensely difficult to _not_ express affection as they had come so used to doing in the past few weeks. 

“Blake looks really hot today.” Yang reads aloud, turning to Blake with an arched brow and a sly smirk. “Damn, Blake. You’re showing me up.”

“Don’t worry. You’re still pretty… but I suppose you have to be considering how abysmal your gaming skills are.”

“Excuse me?!” Yang gasps dramatically, her hand flying to her chest as she gives Blake an outraged look. “How _dare_ you! I was _distracted!”_

“... by your own ineptitude?”

“Oh, I see how it is. You know what… grab the second controller. You and me are gonna go head to head in a 1v1.”

“Sorry. I can’t ruin my reputation by playing with a noob.” Blake grins teasing, leaning back against the couch and draping her arm across the back of it casually. 

“ _Noob?!”_

“I’m just saying that you always lose in Smash Bros to me.”

“You are… _so mean to me!”_

“You love me.”

“Unfortunately for my sanity.” Yang grumbles, bumping her knee against Blake’s as she passes her the laptop. “Here. Make yourself useful and read my comments for me.”

“What was that?”

“... be a darling friend and read my comments for me because I appreciate all the effort you put into helping me?”

“Good girl.” Blake teases softly, smirking lightly as Yang’s cheeks flush at the unexpected praise. That was very new and something that she plans on keeping in mind. “Okay, I’ll be your little messenger- Okay. CardinalRule? We don’t tolerate those kinds of slurs here.”

“If you think it’s bad, report and ban them, Blake.”

“You don’t even know what they said?”

“I trust your judgement, ba- _Blake._ ” Yang says, stuttering awkwardly to cover up the very near usage of the pet name, her cheeks flushing a deep red as she narrows her eyes at her screen. “Cursing is fine, but queerphobia, ableism, racism and xenophobia will _not_ be tolerated. Treat people with respect, my dudes.”

Blake nods, quickly glancing at the user and snorting at a _new_ line of slurs… this time, directed at her. She reports and bans them, scanning through the comments and reading them off to Yang until she spits one and grins. “LittleRedRose just said “Blake has a proven track record over you. She’s better. You’re a noob. Case closed.” Aw. They even signed it off with a little heart. How sweet.”

“Swee- Ruby! I know that’s you, you little brat! How can you betray me like that? My own sister?! After everything I’ve done for you?!” Yang cries dramatically, screeching quietly as another player comes on screen. “No, no, no! Not today, pal! Yes! Boom! Headshot!”

“I think she knows what she's talking about, sweetheart. Ruby has seen me kick your ass multiple times.”

“I’m sorry. _Who_ always loses when we MarioKart?”

“Because you cheat.”

“ _How?!”_

Blake laughs softly, smiling fondly as Yang grumbles playfully. With that, Blake goes back to reading comments, giggling as each user attempts to roast Yang.

* * *

Ten hours go by and very quickly, the two young women decide to devote themselves to answering questions and relaxing together.

“Here’s a good one. How did you two come out?” Yang says with a small sigh, shrugging as she looks up at the camera. “I grew up in a small town with very few openly queer people. Now… I’ve never been one to let scathing eyes dictate how I behave or dress or whatever… so I more or less wore a rainbow flag around my shoulders and a t-shirt with the words “gay as fuck” on it to school one day. My dad and uncle were brought down to the school and I very vividly remember dad staring at me before grinning and holding his hand up for a high five and saying that I’m a lady killer like my old man.” Yang laughs softly, rolling her eyes. “Uncle Qrow just shrugged and asked me for some _actually_ surprising news. They took it pretty well and my sister more or less told me that she can’t wait to have a second sister.”

“I basically came out when I was… what? Twelve?” Blake says when Yang turns to her, cocking her head to the side curiously. “There was this boy and this girl at my school that I had the biggest crushes on. At first, my parents thought that I wanted to date the boy and be best friends with the girl… but they quickly saw that I talked about them in the exact same way.” Blake pauses to give a small, embarrassed laugh, shrugging lightly. “I think that when I told my mum that I want to marry the girl is when she sort of realised that her child was definitely not straight. But… she and dad encouraged me. They asked me about boys _and_ girls that I liked and they never made a big deal out of it. When I officially came out to them… my mother legit went into her room and came out with a bisexual flag and gave it to me.” Blake smiles softly, sighing fondly as she thinks back in those years. “Dad’s a bit more awkward about these sorts of things. He just silently took the flag and draped it over my shoulders and gave me a hug. Like… I think it was his way of saying that nothing had changed, you know? Though… the first time I brought a girl home, he still gave her the shovel talk.”

“He didn’t like her?”

“... she may or may not have been a skater with tattoos everywhere and more than a few piercings.” Blake says with a small grin. “Dad thought she looked like trouble.”

“Was she?”

“Um… does getting arrested because we broke into the school to steal the mascot count?”

“I always knew you were a bad girl.” Yang says with a smirk, winking playfully at Blake and poking her nose. 

“Ugh.” Blake groans, shoving her lightly before glancing down at the screen and letting out a soft “oh” before clearing her throat. “Hi there. I don’t have a question but I just wanted to let you both know that you’ve helped me become more comfortable with who I am. Thank you.” Blake blinks for a moment before looking up at the camera with a soft smile and letting out a watery huff of laughter. “I… am _so_ glad that you feel more comfortable being you. You deserve to shine, just as you are.”

“Yeah. And for what it’s worth?” Yang says softly, smiling gently as she subtly bumps Blake’s shoulder. “The right people will come into your life and they are gonna make your world a little brighter instead of trying to dim. You’ll be okay. _All_ of you.”

Blake presses back against Yang, humming softly in agreement as they exchange a soft look before turning back to Yang’s laptop, each with a small, knowing smile on their face.

* * *

“... You’re my friend and I am very fond of you… but what the _fuck_ are you doing?” 

Blake grumps quietly from her corner of the couch, blinking sleepily over at Yang who, for some reason, was now wearing a tie around her head.

“We’ve been at this for eighteen hours. I think I’m reaching the delusional part of staying up.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Blake says with a snort, rolling her eyes before a jaw cracking yawn splits her face in two. “Shit. Where did you even get it? I thought all of your ties were in your room?”

“... that is a very good question.” Yang says quietly before slumping against Blake and yawning loudly, letting out a small whine as she rests her head on her shoulder. “We have six more hours to go. I wanna _sleeeeeep_!”

“Don’t lean on me. I’m tired and you know when I get sleepy, I get cuddly. I _will_ fall asleep if I end up getting cuddly with you.”

“Fine.” Yang says with a pout, pulling back and staring sleepily at Blake. Her eyes dart down to Blake’s lips before looking away reluctantly, slumping forward on her legs and reaching for her coffee. “I used to be able to pull all nighters back in college. What happened?”

“You got old.”

“You’re like six months older than me.”

“Eh. I’m old too.” Blake chuckles, reaching for the blanket and cocooning herself up in it. “I’m going to sleep for, like, a week after this.”

“You can go to bed, y’know?” Yang mumbles, smiling tiredly at Blake. “Don’t let me keep you up.”

“Don’t be silly.” Blake snorts, bringing the blanket up over her head and peeking out at Yang with a stubborn glare. “I’m not going to leave you out here alone when you’re this sleep deprived.”

“Didn’t you put a can of tuna in the-“

“Don’t finish that sentence!”

“Okay, Okay.” Yang chuckles fondly, smiling warmly as she cracks her neck and groans loudly. “Fuck. Okay… we need to do something that’ll keep us awake. That leaves only one option… the ultimate competition.”

“MarioKart?”

“Bingo.”

* * *

“You totally cheated.” Blake mumbles as Yang turns the camera off and turns off her streaming gear. When she turns to face her, Blake falls sideways onto the couch, blanket long since having fallen to the floor, and closes her eyes. “I’ll kick your butt next time.”

“Sure you will, baby. You should probably go to bed now, though.”

“Only if you cuddle with me. I wasn’t able to kiss you for twenty-four hours.” Blake says, dropping her ears sadly and pouting up at Yang. “I need attention.”

“Careful, Blake.” Yang laughs softly, bending down to pick Blake up and carry her to bed as Blake snuggles happily into her neck. “I might start thinking that you're, like, addicted to me or something.”

“Because you’re intoxicating.” 

Yang inhales sharply and Blake glances up at her, frowning in tired confusion as Yang looks away from her and walks her to her room. Her heart is beating fast and her cheeks have tinted a dark pink as she lays Blake down in bed. When she moves to pull away, Blake lets out a concerned noise, leaning up on her elbow and staring up at Yang worriedly as she hesitates. “Did… I say something wrong?”

“Huh? No. No, of course not, baby.” Yang says, quick to reassure her before crawling in beside her and pulling her close. “Sorry. I’m just… tired.” She adds, though her cheeks are still a dark pink as Blake presses their foreheads together with a sleepy hum.

“Are you sure you feel like cuddling right now?” Blake asks through a yawn, her head feeling heavier and heavier as sleep begins to set in. “I know what I said but I get it if you don’t feel it. You’ve been streaming all-mph!”

Blake squeaks, melting as Yang brushes their lips together softly, lingering and pulling back slowly to nudge their noses together affectionately. “I’m sure. I really wanted to kiss you and hold you… but I don’t think either of us are ready to go public yet, right?”

Blake shakes her head weakly and lets out a pleased hum as Yang tucks her under her chin, pressing her nose against Yang’s collar and sleepily kisses her skin, sighing in content as Yang kisses her head gently.

“Goodnight, Yang.” She whispers, as Yang rubs her back with lazy, sleepy motions as she falls asleep.

“‘Night, gorgeous.” Yang whispers sweetly, pulling Blake tight against her and relaxing, her heart beat lulling Blake into a peaceful sleep…

At least… until the storm starts.

  
  



	16. The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we get to see a storm from two perspectives.

_ Blake opens her eyes slowly and shudders silently as a possessive arm curls almost painfully tight around her waist shifts, a large hand slipping under her shirt and pressing against her stomach. Their room is dark and she can hear the raindrops beginning to hit their window. She can feel his breath on her neck, brushing across fresh bruises from their latest fight. _

_ A fight that had almost left her unconscious. _

_ Slowly, inch by inch, she crawls out from under his arm, a thing that used to make her feel safe that now makes her feel caged, murmuring quiet reassurances that she just needs to use the bathroom. He grunts in his sleep and rolls over onto his back, red horns and hair almost seeming to glow ominously in the moonlight. She frees herself from their bed and makes her way to their bathroom and shuts the door, though she finds herself regretting that it can no longer lock since Adam had broken it open to get to her earlier that night. She pauses in front of the mirror and swallows hard at the sight of bruises on her face and the split in her lip and furiously blinks away the tears. Inhaling deeply, she turns to the linen closet and pulls out her change of clothes and shoes she had hidden away and quickly changes, not bothering to brush her hair. She returns to the closet and pulls out her backpack, slipping it onto her shoulders and silently making her way through the house. When she reaches the front door, she twists the knob and freezes when it clicks, a cold chill setting as footsteps sound from behind her and a low voice speaks up. _

_ “And where, exactly, are you going, my love?” _

_ “... out.” She answers quietly. All she has to do is get out of the front door, run to the car she had left unlocked and drive away. She can do this. _

_ “Out?” He echoes, and when Blake turns to look at him, he’s toying with one of her daggers. It used to be her favourite, decorated with an ornate bull’s head; a gift from Adam when she still believed things were good. “You never leave the house without me.” He says with a dark chuckle, knowing damn well that what he really means is that Blake’s not  _ **_allowed_ ** _ to leave the house without him. “And without makeup too. Aren’t you worried that people will see how…  _ **_clumsy_ ** _ you are?” _

_ “It’s late. Nobody is up at this time. I’ll be fine.” _

_ “Yes… nobody is awake.” Adam murmurs lowly, his voice much closer now. His hands grip her shoulders and turn her around, slamming her against the door and pressing the tip of the blade against her hip. “Except for my little backstabber, it seems. Do you have any idea how much it hurts me that you’ve drifted away from me? How much it breaks my heart knowing that you can’t bear to be in my presence? How much it destroys me to know that you want to leave?” _

_ “That’s- that’s not- it’s not my fault.” Blake says quickly, her breathing hitching fearfully as a muscle in Adam’s jaw clenches. The tip of the dagger bites at her left hip, a small trickle of warmth sliding down into the waistband of her jeans. A loud crack of thunder sounds and she flinches, her ears pressing flat against her head as Adam growls under his breath at her. “We- this isn’t good for either of us. We need- I can’t keep doing this. Just- just let me go and-“ _

_ “Oh. I’m not letting you go.” Adam says softly, the gentle tone now sounding like a perversion of the man she once thought he was. “You  _ **_chose_ ** _ me, Blake. You left behind everyone for  _ **_me._ ** _ Your family, your friends… even that roommate that you had  _ **_such_ ** _ a silly crush on. You know that they’ll never forgive you. You know that, without me, you have nothing. You  _ **_are_ ** _ nothing. Not without me. You’re going to stay.” _

_ “I don’t care.” Blake says, heart racing as the thunder crashes over head. She can see lightning lighting up the sky, casting Adam’s face in a terrible light as it twists into an ugly scowl. “I’m leaving.” _

_ Adam snarls and, as a particularly loud and terrifying boom of thunder sounds, sends the dagger into her hip. She gasps, crying out in pain as Adam twists the blade inside the wound, tears spilling from her eyes as he leans into her ear and chuckles. _

_ “You  _ **_chose_ ** _ to be mine so you’ll  _ **_die_ ** _ as mine.” _

_ Blake inhales sharply, gritting her teeth and feels fight or flight kick in. Without a word of warning, she slams her knee into his groin and, as he crumples to the ground, she strikes out at his temple with her foot. Her hands fly to her wound and it takes all of her willpower not to rip it out, knowing that the dagger was the only thing stopping her from bleeding out worse than she already was. She wrenches the door open, sobs falling from her lips as she runs to her car and climbs into the driver’s seat and drives away, one hand pressed against her wound until she makes it to the hospital and collapses at the front desk. _

_ As she’s whisked away, the thunder and lightning boom overhead, leaving her trembling in terror. Storms had always been something she loved as a child, associated them with fond memories of blanket fortes with her mother and father as they read her stories. _

_ But after that night… storms would have an  _ **_entirely_ ** _ new and terrifying meaning for her.  _

* * *

A scream wakes Yang from her slumber and she jolts awake, just as a clap of thunder sounds. Almost immediately, she turns to Blake and feels her heart twist painfully at the sight of the woman she loves pressed up against a wall, tears falling heavily down her cheeks as she rocks back and forth with hyperventilating sobs, hands pressing against her ears in a desperate attempt to block out the storm rolling overhead. Her gaze is far away and it takes Yang only a second to understand what was happening.

She’s experienced her own fair share of flashes after her accident, after all.

“Blake?” She says softly, trying to reach out to Blake but pulling away when she recoils with a sob, her eyes locked into a corner of her room with a petrified gaze. “Baby? Can you hear me? It’s Yang. You’re safe.” Yang soothes, swallowing thickly as she tries to think of a way to bring Blake out of whatever nightmare her mind had pulled her into. A thought occurs to her and she scoots closer, moving to sit in front of Blake, just far enough away so they weren’t touching. She inhales deeply and she begins to sing softly, watching as the tiniest flicker of recognition enters Blake’s eyes. It’s not much but it’s  _ something  _ she can work with.

“I see your monsters, I see your pain.

Tell me your problems, I'll chase them away.

I'll be your lighthouse, I'll make it okay

When I see your monsters, I'll stand there so brave and chase them all away.”

Blake whimpers, her teeth digging into her bottom lip as her rocking slows down just a bit. Her cat ears shift ever so slightly towards Yang and Yang knows that she’s slowly getting through to her. 

“In the dark we stand apart, we never see that the things we need are staring right at us.

You just want to hide, never show your smile.

Standing alone when you need someone is the hardest thing of all.

All that you see are the bad memories, take your time and you’ll find me.”

As Yang continues to sing, doing her best to keep her voice from trembling as Blake’s sobs fill the empty silence between her words. Slowly, but surely, Blake begins to calm down and soon, her eyes are shifting back into focus as Yang finishes the song.

“Blake? Hey. Come back to me, baby.” Yang murmurs softly as she places her fingertips against Blake’s arm. She flinches, though she doesn’t recoil as she did earlier. She meets Yang gaze and Yang feels her heart break as she sees the pain in Blake’s eyes, watches the way Blake’s hand drifts down to her scarred hip. “Hey. There you are.” Yang says with a gentle warmth, leaning forward slowly to press their foreheads together, giving Blake plenty of time to pull away. When their heads connect, Blake lets out a ragged gasp and reaches for Yang, curling her hands into her shirt and clenching her jaw tightly. “Shhhh. I know. It’s okay. You’re safe.”

“The storm-“

“I know, gorgeous. I know. But you’re safe. I promise.” She frowns as Blake’s eyes dart away from hers and stare fearfully at the door, her ears twitching as though she can hear something. “Hey. If it makes you feel better, I can do a quick sweep of the house. Make sure everything’s still locked up tight. I’ll even take my bat. Sound good?”

“...  _ please? _ ” Blake says, in a voice so small and full of fear that Yang feels her chest twist violently and it takes all of her strength not to wrap Blake up in a tight hug. Blake will come to her when she’s ready. But for now… Blake  _ needs  _ to feel safe.

“Of course. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

Yang does as she said, carefully scanning the house and checking all entries points to ensure that they’re locked right. She clenches her bag in her hand and ensures that all is well before making her way back to Blake and sitting beside her, her throat growing tight when Blake looks up at her worriedly. “All clear.”

Blake relaxes slightly, though she still jumps as the thunder booms loudly overhead. Yang silently offers an arm and Blake sinks into her, burrowing her face into her neck and inhaling deeply. 

“What can I do?”

“Talk to me. Sing to me. Just- hold me and distract me.  _ Please.” _

Yang does. She holds her until the storm is gone and Blake finally feels safe enough to lay down with her. They press their foreheads together and Yang carefully reaches for Blake’s face, taking her time to gently brush her fingers across Blake’s skin, mapping out her features adoringly. Blake closes her eyes and accepts her touch, whimpering softly as she clings to Yang and leans into her hand. 

“Were- were you singing to me?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what else to do.” Yang says with a shaky sigh, trailing her hand down the back of Blake’s neck to press soft patterns onto her back. “I, um… I remembered how you said that my singing made you happy. How relieved you were when I started to do it again. I guess I was hoping that maybe… It could help comfort you? You seemed to really like it that first night.”

“I do.” Blake murmurs, sniffling lightly and clearing her throat. “I’m sorry, Yang. You shouldn’t have had to-“

“Please don’t apologise.” Yang says softly, her voice wavering slightly as she kisses Blake’s nose tenderly. “You have nothing to apologise for. You’ve helped me with my nightmares too, right? It’s not something we need to apologise for. I’m more than okay with helping you through this.”

“It’s not fair to you.”

“And it’s not fair that you have to experience that. I’m just glad that we don’t get many storms in Vale.”

“... I hate that I’m scared of something so  _ stupid.” _

“It’s not stupid.” Yang says with a gentle firmness, gazing steadily into Blake’s eyes. “You’re doing so well, Blake. You’ve come such a long way. It’s okay to have setbacks. Alright?”

“I know… I just… hate how he affects me still.”

“I know. What can I do to make you feel better? Or safer?”

“... could… Can you spoon me?” Blake asks hesitantly, nervously looking away. “I think- I kind of just… want to be held.”

“Of course I can.”

With that, Blake rolls into her other side and reaches behind her to curl Yang’s arm around her tightly, wiggling back against her body and letting out a shaky sigh as Yang kisses her shoulder, lingering for a moment before kissing her cheek. “Want to talk until you fall asleep? Or do you just want to be quiet?”

“Could you sing to me instead?”

“For as long as you want me to, baby.”

With that, Yang begins to sing, pulling Blake closer, tears entering her eyes as Blake lets out a content sigh and relaxes within her embrace. If Blake felt  _ this  _ safe with her, then Yang was going to make sure that she’s always a place that Blake can come to when she’s scared or hurting...

Just as Blake was for her.


	17. A New Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we see how Blake copes the day after her nightmare.

* * *

Blake wakes up the following morning in a confused daze, blinking tiredly at the afternoon sun shining in through her window. Blearily, she glances towards her alarm clock and narrows her eyes at the time; 12:00 pm. Much later than when she usually wakes up. She freezes as a pressure around her waist tightens and she is pulled back into a warm body but, unlike the body in her nightmare, this one exudes only safety and care. Carefully, she rolls over and feels herself relax at the sight of Yang beside her, eyes closed and mouth slightly open as she snores gently. Blake smiles softly, remembering how Yang had sung her back to sleep after comforting from her nightmare.

“What did I do to deserve you?” Blake whispers into the silence, shifting closer and gently tucking Yang’s hair behind her ear and holding her jaw gently. As her thumb brushes Yang’s skin, Yang nuzzles into her hand with a sleepy smile as she slumbers, a soft hum falling from her lips as Blake’s heart begins to feel too big for her chest. Yang looked so peaceful… but they both needed to get up. “Yang? Rise and shine.” She calls softly, leaning forward and brushing her lips against Yang’s, kissing her lightly.

Yang jolts awake with a sharp inhale before letting out a pleased noise in her throat and kissing her back. She smiles as Blake peppers soft kisses to her mouth, her arms curling around Blake’s waist tighter and pulling her close as Blake nuzzles her nose. “Well, good morning to you too.” 

“Afternoon, actually.” Blake murmurs, snorting indignantly as Yang leans up to kiss her again. Gently, she pushes Yang away and looks at her, cheeks burning and ears pinning back in embarrassment. “Thank you for last night, by the way.”

“No need. How’s your hip feeling? I… know it gets bad after a storm.”

“A little achy but it’s fine.”

“Can I…?” Yang asks softly, moving her hand to the hem of Blake’s shirt by her left hip, though she never slips her hand under it. 

Blake gives a nervous nod and watches as Yang gently rolls her onto her back and lifts up her shirt, her lilac gaze drifting down to the “X” shaped scar now resting on her hip. Yang’s brow pinches, her jaw clenching as she hovers her right hand over the scar, hesitating and glancing back up at Blake. Blake swallows thickly as takes Yang’s hand, guiding it to rest over her scar.

“He never deserved you.” Yang murmurs, as she traces the scar with such a level of tenderness that Blake feels her breathing hitch. Her fingers brush against Blake’s skin, her movements gentle and full of care. “You deserve so much better than what he gave you.”

“Well… I like to think I’m doing pretty alright now.” Blake says softly, smiling nervously as Yang looks up at her with a soft expression. 

“Oh, come here.” Yang breathes out, leaning towards Blake and kissing her, her hand still gentle on her hip as Blake curls her arms around Yang’s neck and pulls her close. A soft whimper escapes her as Yang moves to kiss her jaw, planting soft, chaste kisses along her neck and murmuring quietly into her skin. “Let me take care of you today.” She says softly, pulling back to look at Blake, her gaze tender and soft. “Take the rest of today off from editing and just… let me look after you.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Well… I was thinking that we could order in. Maybe move to the couch and watch some stupid movies.” Yang leans down to brush their lips together, sighing softly. “And maybe kisses and cuddles could find their way into the agenda too, hm?”

“I… suppose I can live with that.” Blake says with a soft chuckle, curling her arms around Yang’s waist as they look at each other with matching soft expressions. 

“But first… do you have any of those stupid bath bombs that always leave stains in the bathtub?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Great. You stay here, pick out a book and I’ll go run you a bath.”

“Yang! This is completely unnecessary!” Blake protests as Yang leaves her bed and heads to her vanity to scavenge around in her collection of bath bombs. “You really don’t have to-“

“Relax, I’m going to have a shower after you. Today is a self care day for both of us.”

“If that’s the case, then you won’t mind me rubbing your back when you’re done.”

“Nope.” Yang says playfully, turning around to smirk cockily at Blake. “But I think we both know you’re just looking for an excuse to feel up my muscles, babe.”

“You’re _such_ a brat.” Blake laughs softly, biting her lip as Yang winks at her and heads towards the bathroom. 

It was almost overwhelming at times, Blake had come to realise. To have somebody who so genuinely wanted to take care of her when her demons came back to haunt. To have someone to take care of in turn, both giving and receiving in equal measure. Neither of them needs it but both are willing to provide and that is something that Blake still finds herself trying to get used to.

Blake lets out a sigh and falls onto her back, staring up at her ceiling with a smitten smile as Yang begins to sing, her voice echoing in the bathroom slightly.

Blake felt pretty lucky.

* * *

“Hey, you.” 

Blake glances up as she carefully places her book on their coffee table and arches a brow at the oversized purple shirt Yang was wearing.

_Blake’s_ oversized shirt, to be specific.

“Why are you wearing my shirt?”

“It’s in _your_ style and I think you look good on me.”

Blake blinks, cheeks burning as Yang sits beside her and kisses her cheek, giggling slightly as Blake lets out a flustered grumble. “Shut up.”

“Make me-“

Blake turns to press her lips against Yang’s, smiling against her mouth as Yang eagerly leans into her, her hands cupping Blake’s jaw gently. She hums softly as Yang pulls back and leans their foreheads together, smiling tenderly at her before nuzzling their noses together happily. “You look like you’re feeling better.” Yang says quietly, her thumbs brushing Blake’s cheeks gently, her lilac gaze soft and warm. “I’m glad.”

“I still feel a little anxious but… yeah. Yeah, I’m doing better.” Blake murmurs, resting her hands on Yang’s collarbone and scratching affectionately. “Have I told you lately that you’re precious?”

“Oh, stop.”

“I really can’t.” Blake says with a small huff of laughter, pouting when Yang rolls her eyes fondly. “Hey, it’s not my fault I adore you.”

For a split second, Blake freezes, unsure if she had taken a step Yang wasn’t ready for. Admittedly, it isn’t _exactly_ a declaration of love but to Blake, it means so much to be able to freely express her feelings like this. Yang’s eyes widen in surprise before she grins, pressing her head _just ever so slightly_ more firmly against Blake’s own and reaching up to run her hand through Blake’s hair.

“Good. Because it’s hardly mine that _I_ adore _you.”_ Yang says softly, before pulling back and smirking teasingly at Blake. “Now… about that promised back rub?”

“Sure. Lay down.” 

Yang’s jaw drops and she scans Blake’s face, seeming to search for whether Blake was serious or not. When Blake merely arches a bored brow, Yang’s cheeks flush a dark pink and she does as she’s told, laying out across their couch on her stomach. With Yang’s gaze no longer locked into hers, Blake allows herself to let out a slow, nervous breath as she positions herself so that she’s straddling Yang’s hips and hovering over her. Hesitantly, she places her hands on Yang’s broad shoulders and bites her lip anxiously as she begins to gently knead at the tense muscle beneath her hands. Her ears flick forward as Yang lets out a low groan, seemingly melting into the couch as Blake works at her shoulders and back, leaving Blake to feel a sense of _pride_ that she was eliciting such a reaction from Yang.

“Holy- Okay. _Fuck_.” Yang mumbles into her arms, groaning as Blake kneads at the small of her back. “I thought you were a makeup artist not a- not a masseuse.”

“I am. I’m just… guessing here.”

“ _Just_ guessing? Well, could you guess a little more to the right-Yep! That’s good. Right there.” 

Blake feels her face burn as Yang wiggles slightly under her, a content hum leaving her throat as Blake continues to rub her back. Slowly, she kneads out the tension from Yang’s muscles, allowing herself to admire Yang’s body as she works. When Yang moves her head slightly, her hair shifts to reveal the back of her neck and Blake pauses, resting her hands on Yang’s shoulder blades before running them down her sides to rest on her waist as she leans forward to press a soft, chaste kiss against the exposed skin, chuckling softly when Yang lets out a surprised gasp.

“Sorry.”

“Oh, I am _so_ not complaining.” Yang says, her voice wavering slightly as Blake toys with the hem of her shirt, her nails lightly scratching at the bottom of Yang’s back affectionately. “You, um, you can go _under_ my shirt. If- if you want.”

“Oh! Okay.” Blake says, wincing at the surprised squeak that surrounds her words. Slowly, she reaches under the shirt and begins to gently explore Yang’s back, running her hands up along her spine and down her sides. It's a soft exploration of Yang’s body, her touch light and chaste without expectation. A shiver runs through Yang’s body, her back arching under Blake’s touch as they both feel their nerves jump at this new change within their relationship. She pauses, leaning forward to press a soft, shy kiss to Yang’s cheek and smiling against her skin when Yang giggles. 

“Ya-eep!” Blake lets out a surprised yelp when Yang rolls over underneath her, Blake’s quick to sit up, removing her hands from under her shirt and hovering them in front of her awkwardly as Yang stares up at her with a dopey, drowsy gaze. “Yang?”

“Come here.” Yang murmurs, tugging at Blake’s shirt to pull her gently down on top of her. “Cuddle with me.”

Blake swallows thickly and settles herself on top of Yang, letting out a shaky breath as she rests her head on Yang’s shoulder. Her hands rest against Yang’s collar, thumbs lightly brushing her skin as Yang rests her hands on her hips, lightly stroking her thumbs over Blake’s shirt. Her heart skips a beat as Yang tenderly kisses her temple and wraps her arms around Blake’s waist tightly.

“You know… people have been wanting to see you buy me outfits.” Blake says casually, biting back a smirk as Yang makes a soft noise of enthusiasm. “You’ll have a harder time coping than I did though.”

“Why?”

“Simple. Back then… we weren’t a thing.” Blake says as she lifts herself up to look at Yang with a coy smile. “All I had to fight were my feelings for you. We hadn’t kissed. I didn’t know you felt the same way. But you?” Blake chuckles softly, allowing her smirk to grow as Yang’s cheeks begin to tint pink. “You _know_ how I feel. You know what it's like to kiss me… what I taste like. You actively have to put on an act in front of the camera. You can’t hold me like you want to. You can’t compliment me like you want to. You can’t kiss or touch me in any way that would give up the game.”

“Oh _god.”_ Yang groans, looking up at Blake with a faux pained expression. “No. You know what? I can handle it. It’s _just_ one video. I can _totally_ resist your charm, Belladonna!”

“... even though you have the opportunity to put me in _anything you want?_ ” 

“Uh-“

“And besides…” Blake grins teasingly, rather enjoying the dark flush that creeps along Yang’s face. “There’s more than _one_ player in this game. I guess we’ll have to see if she intends on playing fair.”

“... you wouldn’t.”

“Oh? Was that a challenge?”

“No!”

“I think it wa-hey!” Blake squeals indignantly as Yang switches their positions and pins her to their couch and tickles her sides. “Yang!”

“You are _such_ a gremlin, you little shit!” Yang laughs, smirking down at Blake as Blake giggles beneath. “Give up?”

“Never.”

With that, Blake wraps her legs around Yang’s waist and twists her hips, sending them both to the floor in a tangled heap of limbs and hair and laughter as they roll around, fingers entwined as they each try to get the upper hand. Eventually, Yang manages to pin Blake’s hands to the floor and lays on top of her, resting their foreheads together as they giggle. “You’re really not going to make this easy for me, are you?” Yang chuckles fondly, lilac eyes bright with amusement as Blake shrugs.

“Nope.”

“I thought so.” Yang sighs before ducking down to kiss Blake quickly, pulling back with a slight smirk as Blake lets out a small whine of protest. “But I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

“If you really want me to, I won’t make it difficult. I’m just teasing you.” Blake says, with an apologetic smile as she leans up to kiss the corner of Yang’s mouth. 

“What? You think I can’t handle it with you being a little shit?” Yang says with a dramatic gasp, glaring playfully down at Blake. “Y’know what? Go ahead! Just _try_ to make me wanna kiss you.”

“Uh-huh. Don’t I just do that by existing?”

“Oh, look at you. Getting all cocky.” Yang teases softly, though there’s no mistaking the blush that creeps up her neck towards her ears. If Yang likes it when Blake gets cocky… then Blake will have to remember that for later. “Not when we’re filming. I will be nothing short of professional… no matter what you say or do.”

“Okay. What do I get _when_ I win?”

“I’ll… let you pick my costume for Ruby’s birthday party at the end of the month.” Yang says thoughtfully before smirking dangerously down at Blake, the playful and devious glimmer in her eyes making Blake’s heart skip a beat and makes her skin prickle with heat. “But if _I_ win, I get to pick out yours.”

“Deal.”

“God. You just don’t back down from a challenge, huh?” Yang huffs a soft laugh, leaning down to brush her nose against Blake’s cutely. “But I guess that’s one reason why I like you.”

Blake softens, wiggling her hands free of Yang’s and reaching up to cup Yang’s jaw, guiding her to press their foreheads together gently as she sighs. 

“You okay?” Yang asks softly, her voice sounding concerned as she gazes into Blake’s eyes, her hands supporting her weight. 

“Yeah. I just… you make me… very happy.”

“You make me happy too, baby.” 

For a moment, their challenge is forgotten, lost to the gentle shift in energy between, just as Blake’s fingers become lost in Yang’s hair and both women find themselves gazing into each other’s eyes, too content and full of an unspoken love for each other to think too long on their little challenge.


	18. My Best Friend Dresses Me Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we see our favourite bloggers try to behave on camera.

“So, due to all of you spamming the comments, we’re going to do the “Best friend dresses me” challenge… only this time, Yang gets to play stylist.”

“Helloooo!” Yang sings out, bounding over the back of the couch to stand next to Blake, grinning and waving enthusiastically at the camera. “You ready for this, Belladonna?”

“Sure.” Blake says with a shrug, looking up at Yang and allowing her lips to curve into a sly smirk when Yang flushes. “What have you got for me first?”

“Okay… so I know you  _ love  _ your crop tops so let’s start with that.” Yang says with a self satisfied grin when Blake’s ears prick forward, her eyes lighting up. “Now… go on and change for us.”

“Sure.” Blake takes the clothes and heads to her room, placing them on her bed and arching a brow at what Yang picked out before getting changed and heading to her mirror to examine herself.

Her first outfit was a simple bralette top, partnered with, of all things, a pair of black leather pants and high heels. Blake pauses to admire herself for a moment, turning slightly and smirking lightly as she notices how the pants contour to her body, framing her legs and ass perfectly. She lifts her hands to adjust her hair, bringing over one shoulder and slipping her hands into her pockets as she turns around and begins to make her way back to Yang.

“Not bad for your first choice, sunshine.” Blake drawls as she moves to stand beside Yang, smirking as her eyes widen, drifting down Blake’s body and lingering on her legs before snapping back up to her eyes. “What do you think? Does it match your expectations?” She asks, shifting her weight to one foot and cocking her hip, keeping her movements slow and smooth.

“You- Uh- Okay. Um… you- you look great!” Yang says, stumbling over her words slightly. She clears her throat, her cheeks flushing as she tries not to stare too hard at Blake and she crosses her arms, appearing nonchalant. “I’m pretty good, right?”

“Yeah, it's a nice choice. I really like the pants… though I’m starting to wonder if they make my ass look big.” Blake says calmly, twisting her torso slightly so that her backside was turned towards Yang slightly. “Are they meant to be this tight?”

“Yes.” Yang says quickly, turning away from Blake and reaching for the second pair of clothes. “Here, take this and get changed. You’re looking way too smug.”

“You know… I once had a girl tell me she  _ likes  _ it when I’m feisty so I like to think that smugness is a good look for me.” Blake says jokingly, though she can tell from the way Yang’s jaw clenched that she’s very much in agreement. “I’ll hurry back.”

“Yep!”

* * *

The second outfit is a simple off the shoulder, dark purple dress that falls to Blake’s knees and fans out slightly. Her heels are black and a little shorter than she usually aims for but nonetheless, she feels cute as she wanders out to Yang.

“You look really cute.” Yang says honestly, her lips curling into a soft smile as Blake shrugs self consciously. “I would say you’d fit in on the dance floor but we both know you can’t dance.”

“Excuse you?” Blake growls playfully, turning to Yang with an offended expression and narrowing her eyes at her. “I can dance just fine! I just so happen to be more adept at ballroom dances than I am at… whatever it is you do.”

“I’ve legit never seen you do ballroom so how was I meant to know that?!”

“Ugh.” Blake groans, rubbing her nose with a hand irritably. “One of these days, Weiss is going to successfully drag you to a Schnee ball and then I’ll take great delight in watching you flounder like a baby deer.”

“Whatever.” Yang’s chuckles, rolling her eyes fondly as she places a new change of clothes into Blake’s hands. “Here’s the third set… and I’ll have you know that I  _ didn’t  _ get you a cheeky, jokey outfit… because  _ I’m nice.” _

“Is it because you’re nice or because you’re a softy?” Blake throws back over her shoulder, laughing softly as Yang lets out an insulated hell.

“I’m not soft! Do you guys see what I have to put up with? She’s such a twerp!”

* * *

The third outfit is highly unexpected; a simple masculine cut, black t-shirt with camouflage coloured pants, also with a masculine cut. Her shoes are a simple pair of black combat boots and the whole look is accessorized with a simple men’s wristwatch that she places on her left wrist. Blake throws her hair up into a messy ponytail and makes her way out to Yang and watches as Yang turns to her with a wide eyed stare.

“... Holy- okay. Alright. You’re- you’re killing the butch look too.” Yang says, clearing her throat roughly as she looks at Blake. Her hands twitch ever so slightly, as though she wants to reach out but stops herself from doing so. “You look dope.”

“Really?” Blake asks, rubbing the back of her neck with a small, unsure smile. She glances away, cheeks burning slightly. “It’s… a little outside of what I usually wear.”

“I mean… to be fair, you could probably wear a trash bag and still look great, Blake.” Yang says with an amused snort, though her gaze remains soft and fond as she looks at her. “You look great. Very handsome.”

The complement has far greater of an effect on Blake than she thought it might, sending a flustered heat creeping up her neck as she rolls her eyes and tries to ignore the fluttering in her chest when Yang hands her her next outfit with a smug grin. In retaliation, she purposely lets her hand slide along Yang’s, keeping eye contact before walking off screen and throwing a cheeky wink over her shoulder and delighting in the way Yang’s cheeks darken.

* * *

Blake finds herself immensely thrilled and pleased with the fourth outfit, humming happily under her breath as she slips on the form fitting black dress slacks and pointed black dress shoes. The white button down shirt has several buttons undone, revealing just a hint of the black bra she wears underneath and she’s quick to attach the suspenders and slide them over her shoulders before shaking her hair out and smirking at herself. Instead of putting on her blazer, she slings it over her shoulder and holds it in place with her hand and she saunters out to Yang and the camera.

“So… what do you think-“ Yang freezes as she finally turns to Blake, her throat bobbing in a hard swallow as Blake tilts her head at her with a coy smile. “Oh. That- okay.  _ Wow. _ I think I just heard a couple of your viewers pass out.” Yang says through a nervous laugh, her eyes scanning Blake’s body before looking away. “It’s, uh. It’s a good look.”

“Good, huh?” Blake says, arching a brow as Yang’s cheeks grow darker and darker, her gaze stubbornly averted as she grabs a new set of clothes and passes them to Blake with a very obviously forced neutral expression, though Blake doesn’t miss the way her eyes dart down to Blake’s chest.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Take your time.”

* * *

The fifth outfit is not one that Blake expected but finds herself delighted by nonetheless. A new leather jacket to add to her collection, only this one, unlike her others, has spiked studs on the shoulders. The sleeves themselves are three quarter lengths, ending halfway down her lower arm. A black crop top, ending just below her breasts, is worn underneath and paired with a pair of ripped, black jeans tucked into a pair of high heeled boots. A pair of fingerless leather gloves are slipped over her hands and she pauses, tilting her head curiously as she considers her outfit. After a moment, she lets out a soft huff of laughter and leaves her bedroom to head to Yang, standing beside her and smirking slightly as she cocks a hip.

Yang turns to her and freezes, eyes growing wide as she stares at Blake. Her cheeks grow darker, her mouth falling open as she tries to say  _ something. _

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Cat got your-“ 

Blake’s cut off by Yang stepping forward and grabbing her by the lapels of her jacket to tug her forward into a searing kiss, pressing her lips desperately against Blake’s own and letting out a shaky breath through her nose as Blake’s hands move to rest upon Yang’s waist.

“You just lost.” Blake says, smirking against Yang’s mouth, pulling back slightly and snorting a laugh as Yang desperately chases her.

“I’ll take the loss. Just shut up and kiss me, please.” Yang pleads, trailing her lips along Blake’s jaw and up to her ear. “ _ Fuck.  _ You’re killing me.”

“You nearly won.” Blake chuckles, letting Yang claim her lips in another heated kiss before pulling back and walking over to the camera to turn it off. “You were  _ so  _ close, Yang.”

“I don’t care.” Yang’s hands find her hips and tug her close, resting their foreheads together as she lets out a shuddering breath. “God, I played myself, didn’t I?”

“You did.” Blake murmurs, placing her hand on Yang’s chest and gently forcing her to sit on the couch. Easily, she sits on her lap, thighs bracketing Yang’s hips as she cups her jaw and guides her into another kiss, humming appreciatively as Yang’s hands fall to her waist over her jacket. “You can be a little more bold, you know.” She adds, taking Yang’s hands and pressing them against her bare skin, shivering as Yang leans forward to kiss her neck, her hands slowly exploring Blake’s body. A low groan leaves her throat as Yang kisses a trail up to her mouth and sighs happily as Yang presses their mouths together. “We’re going to have to re-film that last one.”

“Yeah, yeah. Granted. Just… kiss me for a bit first?”

“You know what?” Blake murmurs, pulling back to stare at a flushed Yang, her chest heaving and her eyes bright as her hands fall to Blake’s thighs. “I think that can be arranged.” 

Filming and figuring out Yang’s costume could wait. For now… the woman beneath her made for  _ lovely _ distraction.


	19. Costume hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yang is considerate and Blake goes costume hunting with Ilia.

_Damn.10 seconds in and Yang’s already blushing. Are we sure they’re not dating?_

_If they’re not dating, then Yang definitely has a crush on Blake._

_LEATHWE PANTS!!! IM DED!!_

_Leather pants? Why do I get the feeling that Yang really likes Blake’s more domme side?_

_Blake was so showing off for Yang! She’s such a flirt!_

_Blake looks so pretty in that dress!_

_Okay… but now we need a dancing video. Maybe Blake teaching Yang ballroom?_

_HNNNNNGFFG!! BUTCH BLAKE! I AM LOOKING RESPECTFULLY!_

_Blake in suspenders tho!_

_Blake do be kinda hot in suspenders. Yang looks like she agrees._

_ALSKSKDJJDJDJDJ! WHY DOES NLAKE LOOK LILE EVERY BAD GIRL IN EVERY GREWSER MOVIE EVERR?!_

_Holy fuck! Blake in that spiked jacket tho! Hot as fuck!_

_Yang looks like she’s dying xD_

_Is it just me… or is there a weird jump cut there? Just before Blake comes out in her spiked jacket?_

“... there’s no way that they know. The only people that know are our closest friends.”

“Maybe.”

“Either way… they’re right. You are _really_ hot.”

Blake snorts a laugh as Yang kisses her mouth, grinning as her scroll falls to the bed where they’re sitting in Blake’s bedroom. She lets Yang guide her onto her back and closes her eyes happily as Yang kisses her face, giggling as her lips tickle particularly sensitive spots on her neck. She breathes in sharply when Yang trails further down than she has previously done, her lips tracing Blake’s collarbone down to the dip of her cleavage. Her heart races as Yang stills against her chest, lingering for a moment before tracing her way back up to Blake’s mouth, kissing her softly and pulling back to rest their foreheads together.

“Hey, uh. So… I was thinking that maybe… I could take you out somewhere.” Yang murmurs, unknowingly forcing Blake to try to calm down her racing pulse so she can actually _focus_ on what Yang is saying and _not_ the heat coursing through her skin. “I mean… it probably won’t be as _grand_ and _romantic_ as what you planned but-“

“Yang.” Blake interrupts gently, pressing her finger to Yang’s rambling lips and smiling softly up at her. “I don’t need it to be grand and huge and well thought out for it to be romantic. I just need you, baby.”

It was the first time that Blake had let slip a _new_ petname and she feels her cheeks darken as Yang’s eyes widen. A slow smile spreads across Yang’s face and she kisses the tip of Blake’s nose, chuckling when said nose scrunches up underneath her lips. “You’re so cute.” She whispers, pulling back to nuzzle Blake’s nose with her own fondly. “I’m so lucky.”

“Uh… no. No, pretty sure that _I’m_ the lucky one.”

“Maybe we’re both lucky.” Yang sighs, letting her hand drift under Blake shirt to stroke affectionately at her side, her hand warm against Blake’s skin. “How much longer until you have to leave to meet up with Ilia?”

“An hour.”

“That’s quite a bit of time.” Yang says coyly, moving to kiss Blake’s jaw, smirking when Blake’s breathing hitches. “I’m pretty sure we can fit in a few kisses and cuddles before then, hm?” 

Blake closes her eyes as Yang gently nips at her ear, the gesture playful and light despite the heat it sends through her body. A low whimper escapes her as Yang trails kisses down her neck to her collarbone. A sigh escapes her as Yang _finally_ kisses her and she hooks her arms around Yang’s neck… or tries to. Instead, Yang gently takes her hands and threads their fingers together, her thumbs stroking Blake skin in soothing circles as Blake melts beneath her. 

“You okay?” Yang asks, concerned when she pulls back and stares at Blakes flushed face and the rapid rise and fall of her chest. “Blake?”

“I’m fine. Just… pull it back a little? Please?” Blake says roughly, swallowing thickly as Yang lets go of her hands and pulls back to give her room to breath. “I’m sorry. I just-“

“What are you sorry for?” Yang asks, sounding confused, as she brushes Blake’s hair from her face. “If you’re not in the mood to makeout, I’d rather just cuddle than have you _perform_ for me or whatever. Hey, c’mere.”

Curious, Blake watches as Yang rolls into her back and holds out her arms. Easily, she guides Blake to lay on top of her and waits until they’re both settled before gently scratching her back and kissing the top of her head.

“How’s this?” Yang murmurs into her ears, her voice a low and soothing hum that calms the burning of Blake’s skin. 

“Yeah. This is good.”

“Good.”

“So…” Blake says after her heart has slowed down and she knows she can trust her voice not to sound like sandpaper. “Where do you want to take me?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Mean.”

“I-wha- _mean?! You blindfolded me for two hours!”_

Blake laughs as Yang squeezes her with a playful growl before leaning up to kiss her lips with a happy hum.

Blake still believes that _she’s_ the lucky one.

* * *

“So… how are you going to embarrass your girlfriend?”

“Ilia… you _know_ Yang and I haven’t discussed labels yet.”

“... you two have basically been a couple without knowing it for _years._ You’re beyond labels now.”

Blake lets out a frustrated sigh as she examines a clothes rack full of costumes, her ears pinned flat against her head as she bites her bottom lip thoughtfully. “Look, this is.., just a very new stage of our relationship and I really don’t want to push Yang into something she isn’t ready for.” She says softly, arching a brow at a particularly garish clown costume. “I’ve fucked up a lot in my life, Ilia. I don’t want to add Yang to that list.”

“Okay…” Ilia says quietly, passing behind Blake and trailing a hand across her shoulders sympathetically. “But you do want to add her to your “to-do” list, right?”

“I kicked your ass in high school and I’ll do it again.”

“The only reason you kicked my ass is because you thought I was robbing your house and I thought you were some attacker… you also nearly burned your house down.”

Blake huffs, rolling her eyes and smirking as Ilia turns to her with a wicked, teasing grin. “What? What have you found?”

“You know… I always thought that you could pull off the dashing, debonair hero look.” Ilia says, as she pulls out a Zorro costume, complete with hat, cape and rapier. “Yang could be your beautiful Elena. See? She’d even get a sword too.”

“It’s called a rapier, you heathen.” Blake grunts, rolling her eyes as she takes in the two matching costumes. She imagines Yang in the white dress and knee length black boots, rapier in her hand, necklace around her throat and a determined glare on her face. She imagines herself standing by her side, wearing a black, long sleeved shirt with a low V neckline, with matching black pants and a belt where her sword would rest. She imagines Yang’s face upon seeing her own masked one, hat upon her head and cape upon her shoulders as she strides towards her in shin length boots. She swallows, hard, and clears her throat. “That… is definitely a contender.”

“Oh my _God._ You thirsty bitch. You totally just got the hots for an Elena-Yang, didn’t you?” 

“Shut up.”

“Maybe the Zorro and Elena costumes are a bad idea. I mean… I’d rather be able to go to Ruby’s party and _not_ run the risk of turning a corner and seeing you pinning Yang up against a wall.”

“I’m going to buy that fucking costume just so I can stab you with the rapier.”

Blake rolls her eyes as Ilia snickers, knowing all too well that her childhood best friend was having _way_ too much fun tormenting her. Some hours later, the two have gathered up three different costumes to choose from; a harlequin and her mistress, Zorro and Elena and finally… Mary Poppins and Burt because Ilia thought that it would be hilarious for Blake to dress as Mary fucking Poppins. The final decision, however, rests in Blake’s hands.

It will prove interesting to see which costume she chooses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses as to which costume Blake will pick? Or which one you’re HOPING that she picks?


	20. Books, Cafes and Cats, oh my!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we see our favourite vloggers, courtesy of Yang, go out on another date.

“Good morning, baby.”

Blake groans and blinks open her eyes to glower at a positively _vibrating_ Yang sitting by her hip and grinning at her. She’s dressed in what she had affectionately come to call her “Fall, styled by Belladonna” outfit and Blake immediately sits up to look at her with a confused furrowing of her brows. “I’m not going to complain about you wearing something that I picked out for you, sweetheart, but… why…?”

“Because you’re getting your cute ass out of bed and I’m taking you out.”

“I-wha- I _just_ woke up!” Blake protests through a yawn, narrowing her eyes at Yang as she smirks. “Couldn’t you have told me last night?”

“Nope because I just found this place this morning when I was web surfing. C’mon. Come on a spontaneous date with me.” Yang says with a small pout that very quickly tugs at Blake’s heart strings. “Please? I promise you won’t regret it.”

“I-“ Blake sighs and lets her head fall back against her headboard with a dull thunk. It was times like this where she wondered if Yang _knows_ how much of an effect she has on her. “Fine. Get out so I can get ready.”

“I mean… I could stay.” Yang says slyly, leaning forward until they’re nose to nose, her grin absolutely wicked as Blake’s breathing hitches. “If you need some help?”

Never one to be outdone, Blake takes a breath and leans forward as well, tilting her head and chuckling low in her throat, shifting her voice until it’s a husky rasp. “If you stay, I can’t guarantee that your clothes will remain in one piece.”

“Uh- you- it- we-“ Yang stutters, her cheeks darkening as she pulls back. She fiddles with her skirt, looking anywhere that isn’t Blake as she fumbles over her words.

“Yang?”

“Y-yes, Blake?”

“Get out before you combust.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Yang squeaks, jumping to her feet and bolting for the door. Blake tilts her head and giggles quietly to herself as she hears the bathroom door slam shut, remembering how often _Yang_ had caused _her_ to run for the cold tap.

“Figures she’d be the one for spontaneity.” Blake murmurs softly to herself as she heads to her closet to pick her outfit for the day. For a moment, she (much to her own embarrassment) considers wearing an outfit to match Yang but as her eyes drift to the newest leather jacket in her collection, she can’t help but reach for it. She hums once to herself, making her decision as she folds it over her arm and picks out a V-necked white shirt and ripped black jeans, along with a pair of higher heels than she usually goes for on a daily basis.

She waits until she hears Yang head to the living room and quickly make her way to get ready, pleased with her choice for the day.

* * *

“You’re staring again.”

“You’re wearing the jacket I bought you! Of course I’m going to stare.” Blake laughs softly as Yang takes her eyes off the road for a moment to point at her. “You’re trying to kill me.”

“You started it, baby.” Blake teases softly, arching a brow at her curiously, fiddling with her fingerless gloves absentmindedly. “I’m actually surprised that you’re not returning the favour and blindfolding me.”

“Eh, blindfolding my date isn’t really my thing.” Yang says cheekily, lowering her aviators as they come to a stop light so she can wink at Blake. “But if it’s yours, I’m more than willing to submit.”

“Oh, good. If you’re _that_ willing to submit, maybe on the way home, we can stop and buy a pair of handcuffs.” Blake drawls, smirking as Yang chokes, her body going stiff as she flushes a dark red. 

“I just choked.” Yang coughs, slamming her fist against her chest and staring stubbornly out of the windscreen.

“... I mean-“

“Don’t finish that sentence.” Yang growls playfully, turning to glare at Blake as the lights turn green. “God, you were bad enough when we weren’t a thing. You’re _actually_ worse now that we are.”

“You knew _exactly_ what you were getting into.” Blake points out, turning to Yang with a smirk that falters slightly as she clears her throat. “Uh… that said… if you _do_ want me to stop-“

“I never said that.” Yang says quietly, her cheeks getting only darker and darker as she goes on. “I like seeing you all… _confident_ and all that. I just-“

“Get flustered really easily despite everyone online thinking you’re this suave, smooth butch?” Blake suggests with a teasing smile, delighting in the blush staining Yang’s cheeks. “When in reality, you’re this soft disaster zone that can’t handle being flirted with?”

“I can handle it!”

“Uh-huh.”

“I _can!_ Just not when it’s you.” Yang says, glancing at Blake once before reaching out and taking her hand to thread their fingers together. Hesitantly, she brings Blake’s hand up to her lips and places a soft kiss to the back of it before resting their entwined hands on her thigh. “It’s… _different…_ with you.”

“I… hope it’s in a good way.” Blake says, half jokingly, as Yang’s thumb brushes against her skin tenderly.

“ _Oh.”_ Yang sighs, a slow smile spreading across her face as she glances at Blake from the corner of her eye. “It’s in _such_ a good way, baby.”

Overcome with a wave of affection, Blake remains silent as she leans over to kiss Yang’s cheek, her own face now burning when Yang lets out a pleased hum. Blake settles back into her seat and occupies herself by watching Yang for the rest of their drive, a content little smile crossing her features as Yang holds her hand.

* * *

“... a cat shelter?”

“I know you really miss the cat you had to leave behind with your folks when you moved so… I dunno. I thought it might be nice to give some TLC to some kitties that really need it.” Yang says softly, rubbing her neck awkwardly as Blake turns to stare at her. “Was that a dumb thing to do or-“

“No. No, it’s sweet. I _do_ miss Gambol terribly. I just… wasn’t expecting it.” Blake says with a small huff of laughter as she glances down at her outfit. “Would have been nice to know when I was getting ready but still.”

“Oh, please. The whole “looking like a biker on the outside, while being soft over kittens” is super attractive.” Yang teases, holding out her hand to Blake as they enter the shelter. “I think the biggest problem will be not taking one home.”

“You’re, like, ninety percent of my impulse control so that’s on you.”

“How am _I_ ninety percent of _your_ impulse control?!”

“Remember six months ago? When you had to go to that prosthetics conference in Atlas as a guest speaker and I had to stay here because of a collab?”

“Yes?”

“Do you also remember how you came home to discover that I had cut the sleeves off all my shirts?”

“... ooohhh. Yeah. Okay.” Yang says slowly, playfully bumping with her hip. “I get it. The instant I see you becoming attached, I’ll throw you over my shoulder and we’ll head to the next portion of the date.”

“Wait.” Blake blinks, glancing at Yang with a playfully suspicious glare. “There’s another part?”

Yang merely smirks and gestures towards the cat runs, encouraging Blake forward so they can spend the morning with some very needy cats. Eventually, they make their way to the last run, where they enter to see a large pile of black fur sitting on a cat tree and watching them through golden eyes.

“I feel like I’m staring into the void.” Yang comments as Blake sits down on the floor, rolling her eyes and sitting down as Blake shoots her a glare. “Well, I am!”

“No, be nice.” Blake huffs with a small pout, though her lips twitch as a loud thud is heard beneath the cat’s paws as she lands on the ground. She turns and raises her brows as the large car slinks over to her, sniffing her outstretched hand suspiciously for a moment before butting her head against Blake’s palm. “Aw. You’re a big lovebug.” Blake coos softly, gently stroking the cat’s back and laughing softly as a high pitched mewl escapes the giant feline. Her smile grows as the cat climbs into her lap and sits, tall and proud as Blake scratches her behind her ear. “So… your name’s Shroud, huh? Such a pretty baby, aren’t you, honey? Yeah.”

“Baby? That cat is the size of your _torso,_ Blake. She could suffocate you should the mood ever strike her.”

“No. She wouldn’t do that.” Blake says, craning her head to glare across the cat’s ears at Yang. “She’s too sweet.”

“Sorry, babe. It’s the sweet ones you gotta watch out for.” Yang grins teasingly at her, her lilac eyes glimmering mischievously. “Like you, for example. You’re one of the biggest softies I know… and yet, I’ve seen you floor men twice your size.”

“I’m not soft!”

Yang merely quirks a smug brow and glances at the cat snuggling up to Blake. Blake huffs, rolling her eyes and smiling sweetly at Yang. “If I’m soft, it’s only because you’re rubbing off on me.”

“I’m not!”

“You’re right. We still aren’t _quite_ at that stage in our relationship yet.” Blake says thoughtfully, emphasising her meaning with a coy wink that sends Yang into yet another flustered state, making Blake giggle behind her hand as she verbally flails. “You’re cute when you blush.”

“Yeah, well… your stupid face is cute!”

“... was- was that meant to be an insult?” Blake asks, biting back a laugh as Yang groans and hides her face in her hands. “Because it _really_ didn’t feel like it.”

Yang huffs and drops her hands, though there’s no mistaking the small, amused smile crossing her lips as the cat climbs off of Blake’s lap and crosses over to her curiously. “You’re so lucky that I adore you.”

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

The two women exchange soft, shy smiles before averting their gaze to watch the cat bat at a toy mouse, both hearts spilling over with affection.

* * *

Blake steps out of Yang’s truck and feels a slow grin cross her face as she stares up at the small cafe/bookstore hybrid Yang had brought them to. She slides her hand into Yang’s and leans up to kiss her quickly, smiling softly at her goofy grin as she lets herself be led forward.

“Okay. So… we’re gonna have lunch here and you’re gonna pick out a few books… all my treat, of course.” 

“You don’t have-“

“I want to.” Yang murmurs, curling her arm around Blake’s waist and kissing her cheek sweetly. “Let me spoil you.”

“Cats, lunch and books? You know the way to my heart.” Blake teases softly as Yang guides her towards a table and sits down across from her, her head resting in her hands as she gazes softly at Blake. “Thank you, Yang.”

“Oh, come on. Your date was, like, _way_ more thought out and planned and romantic.” Yang snorts, leaning back and shrugging. “I just found this place this morning.”

“No, you knew _exactly_ what you were doing.” Blake says with a small smile, reaching forward to take Yang’s hands, her thumbs tracing the scars and calluses on her skin. “You knew I was missing my childhood pet, so you brought me to a cat shelter to cheer me up. You know I love books so not only did you bring me to a bookstore, you brought me to one with a cafe with the intention of paying for my food and books. It may have been spontaneous… but it was no less thoughtful. You _remembered_ things about me, things that I’ve said in passing and that says a lot, Yang. It _means_ a lot.”

“Of course I remembered. I remember everything about you.” Yang says softly, bringing Blake’s hands to her lips to kiss them. “Every little thing about you is like a little keepsake. They’re worth keeping and they’re worth so much to me.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re you.” Yang sighs, adoration coating her voice as she watches Blake with an affectionate gaze. “And you’re _easily_ one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”

_I love you. I love you so much it hurts. I love you more than I thought was physically possible. I’ve loved you for years. Maybe I’ve loved you for far longer. Maybe I was destined to love you because the way my very soul calls for you feels inevitable._

But instead, Blake sniffs and laughs a watery laugh and leans forward to kiss Yang, murmuring a soft “You romantic goofball.” against her mouth. She pulls back and carefully wipes at her eyes when a server approaches them, careful to avoid smudging her dark eye makeup. 

By the time they head home, bag of books in one hand and the other entwined with her date’s, Blake finds herself leaning her head against Yang’s shoulder and finding it harder to find good reasons _why_ she shouldn’t ask Yang about putting a label to their relationship.


	21. Up To The Rooftops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Blake is greatly exasperated by the woman she loves dearly.

“Afternoon, beautiful.”

Blake giggles softly as Yang drops down beside her on the couch, her hand reaching out to gently grasp Blake’s chin to guide her into a slow, sweet kiss. She smiles when Yang pulls back to nuzzle their noses together, her lilac eyes bright with affection as Blake saves her work and closes her laptop to curl her arm over Yang’s shoulder and tug her into her side as she leans back against the couch.

“Good afternoon to you too.” Blake mumbles into Yang’s hair, sighing in content when Yang curls into her side and rests her head on Blake’s chest. “How was lunch with Ruby?”

“Well… I finally told her about us. You know… how we’re dating?”

“We’re dating? I wasn’t aware.”

“Ass.” Yang snorts, her voice dripping with fondness as she kisses Blake’s neck. She reaches for Blake’s free hand and begins to play with her fingers lazily, earning a soft and fond gaze from Blake as she watches her. “Turns out… Ruby already knew something had changed between us. I think the others know what we are too but they’ll keep it under their hats for a while.”

“And… what are we?” Blake asks, her voice pitching nervously. She feels her ears flick back anxiously when Yang pulls back to look at her, a concerned crease forming between her brows as she watches Blake struggle for a moment.

“What do you mean, baby?” Yang says softly, reaching up to run a hand tenderly through Blake’s hair. “We’re a thing, aren’t we?”

“Yeah… but like… are we a  _ serious  _ thing?” Blake says before wincing at the phrasing she had used. She shifts anxiously, insecurities burning beneath her skin as Yang silently, patiently, waits for her. “I just… we haven’t exactly… put a label on this other than us being a thing and…”

“Do you want to put a label on this?” Yang asks, placing her arm on the back of the couch as she turns to face Blake fully. 

“... yeah?” Blake says, looking away as her throat grows tight with the sudden fear that her wants may not be mutual. “I mean… we don’t  _ have  _ to but…”

“But…?”

“I guess what I’m trying to ask… uh… that is, if it’s okay…” Blake stumbles over her words, cheeks burning as she looks at anywhere that isn’t Yang. “Would you be opposed to me calling you my girlfriend?”

“... oh my god.  _ How  _ are you this cute?” Yang sighs, gently tilting Blake’s head towards her and leaning forward to kiss her gently. “No. I’m not  _ opposed  _ at all. As long as I get to call you mine.” 

Blake stares at Yang for a long moment before leaning forward and kissing her, swallowing her surprised gasp and barely stopping the happy whimper from escaping her own throat as Yang pulls her close. She huffs a small laugh as they pull apart, smiling happily as they rest their foreheads together, breathes mingling. She closes her eyes as Yang kisses her nose, exhaling slowly as Yang peppers chaste kisses along her cheeks and jaws. 

“One more thing.” Blake mutters, pulling back to pout up at Yang. “Don’t call me cute.”

“But you  _ are  _ cute.”

“I am  _ not _ cute!”

“The pout’s not helping your case, Blake.”

“I don’t pout!”

Blake huffs, rolling her eyes as she tries, and fails, to fight back a smile when Yang pulls her into her arms, laughing softly into her neck. A soft sigh leaves her throat as Yang begins to gently kiss her neck, her arms curled around Blake’s waist loosely as Blake tilts her head, happy to relish in the attention that her girlfriend seemed so determined to spoil her with.

The thought makes her pause, her body freezing as her mind processes it.

Her  _ girlfriend. _

“Blake? You okay?” Yang asks, pulling away from Blake’s neck and gazing at her with concern. “You froze up. Did-“

“I’m good. Great, really. I just-“ Blake sighs, shaking her head reaching up to tuck Yang’s hair behind her ear, her fingers trailing down to cup her jaw tenderly as she smiles softly at her. “I’m just  _ very  _ happy right now.”

“Good.” Yang murmurs, leaning into Blake’s touch with a soft hum, closing her eyes and moving one hand to curl around Blake’s gently. “Your happiness means a lot to me, you know that?”

“And yours means a lot to  _ me _ .” Blake whispers back, ducking forward to kiss the corner of Yang’s mouth and smiling when she giggles lightly. “Now come here. I want to hold you.”

Yang obliges, curling into Blake’s side and resting her head in the crook of her neck as Blake wraps her arms around her and kisses the top of her head.

There was a lot she regretted in life… but Yang sure as hell wasn't one of them.

* * *

But she sure did experience…  _ mild exasperation _ … some days.

“Yang Xiao Long! What in the everlasting  _ fuck  _ are you doing up on our  _ fucking  _ roof?!”

Blake slams her car door shut and stares up in horror at the sight of her girlfriend standing up on the roof of their house like it was a normal thing to be doing at midday on a Thursday. 

“Oh! Hey, Blake! A shingle fell off the roof this morning while you were out so I’m just running a quick check-“

“Please tell me you used a ladder.”

“Pfft. No? Why would I waste time on a ladder? I just climbed up from my bedroom window.” Yang calls back, shrugging as she walks across the roof casually, gaze turned downwards towards the shingles beneath her feet as a very exasperated girlfriend watches from below. 

“Yang? Baby? Sweetheart? Honey?”

“Uh-oh. You only call me honey when I’m in trouble.” Yang jokes, an amused note entering her voice. “Babe, I’m fine. I’m like a mountain goat. I could  _ totally  _ fight someone up here.”

As though determined to give Blake a heart attack before she’s thirty, Yang lifts her leg up in a sidekick, somehow still retaining her balance perfectly as Blake watches from below, her ears pinning against her head irritably. 

“Yang.  _ Please  _ be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt.” Blake finally calls back, glancing worriedly up at Yang as she turns to face her. “Just… use a ladder like everybody else. Please?”

“Alright, alright. I’ll be down in a minute.”

Blake feels a muscle beneath her eye twitch as Yang wanders to the far side of the roof and swings herself, presumably, back into her room. She loves Yang. Vibrantly and passionately, feels her adoration for the other woman creep into every part of her being and fills her with a warmth that she didn’t even think was possible. 

But sometimes… the woman exasperated her beyond belief.

“I’m in love with this woman.” Blake mutters to herself as she unlocks the door and steps into the house with a sigh, taking her shoes off and hanging up her bag and letting out a small huff. “This woman who climbs onto rooftops without a ladder and jumps off of cliffs into questionable bodies of water.”

“Hey baby!”

But Blake, helpless as always to the woman she adores, feels a bright smile light up her face as Yang jogs up to her and lifts her into her arms and twirls her around before dropping her to her feet to give her a kiss. “Hey. Could you  _ not  _ give me a heart attack like that again, please?”

“I’m sorry. It just seemed more efficient at the time. Won’t happen again.” Yang says, taking Blake’s hands and pouting at her. “Forgive me?”

“Hm… I suppose I can be…  _ persuaded _ .” 

“Oh? And how can I  _ persuade  _ you to be merciful to me?” Yang says softly, teasingly, as she tugs Blake closer by her belt, her fingers brushing bare skin tauntingly. Her lips are curling into a small smirk, as though she  _ knows  _ she doesn’t need to do a  _ damn _ thing but is still more than willing to participate in Blake’s little game. “How can I…  _ serve  _ you?” She murmurs, her hand shifting to curl  _ low _ over Blake’s hips as they press against each other.

“Oh, I can think of  _ so  _ many things.” Blake all but purrs, as she leans forward to speak lowly into Yang’s ear. She bites back a grin when a shiver runs through Yang’s body, her hands gripping at Blake’s hips just a little tighter. “I could ask you to kiss me.”

“I can do that.”

“Hm… or… I could ask you to take me to your room.” Blake continues, trailing her fingers along Yang’s neck to rest upon her collar. “Make sure that when you go to bed tonight, all you can smell is  _ me.” _

A grin does spread across Blake’s face then, when Yang lets out a small whine, her breath hitching in her throat as Blake kisses her jaw slowly. 

“Or perhaps you’d prefer me to ask you to get down on your knees for me.” Blake murmurs into Yang’s skin, slowly trailing her lips up to her ear as Yang’s chest begins to move quicker beneath Blake’s palms. “But I think… the one thing I want you to do? What I  _ need  _ you to do?”

“Ye-Yeah?”

“Is to go start the tea for me while I check my emails.”

With that, Blake pulls back, winks playfully up at Yang and taps her flushed cheek affectionately before sauntering over to the couch where she had left her laptop as she catches Yang muttering under her breath.

_ “How the fuck can she go from one to a hundred and back again so fast?” _

Blake shifts her weight, determined to never let Yang know how  _ affected _ she was.

* * *

Later that night, as she lays in Yang’s lap and delights in the feeling of her girlfriend playing with her hair, she glances up at Yang to see her watching her with a soft expression on her face, lilac eyes tender and smile gentle. 

“Stop looking at me like that.” Blake mutters, cheeks burning as Yang laughs softly. “You make it really hard not to kiss you.”

“Maybe I want you to kiss me.”

“I can’t. Too lazy.”

“... lazy is, like, the last word anyone could use to describe you.” Yang snorts, rolling her eyes fondly as she moves her hand to Blake’s side to press affectionate strokes against her skin. 

Blake closes her eyes and lets herself melt beneath Yang’s easy affections, a soft sigh leaving her lips as Yang bends down to kiss her head sweetly. “Adore you.” She mumbles sleepily, opening her eyes to smile affectionately up at Yang.

“I adore you too, you goof.” Yang says softly, cupping Blake’s jaw and tracing her lips with her thumb tenderly. “So… the party is next week. You ready for it?”

“Yeah. Costumes are ready to go. We’re in charge of bringing chips, right?”

“Yup… but speaking of costumes-“

“No, you’re not allowed to know what they are.”

“Sigh. Such a harsh mistress.”

“Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“... why is it that everyone assumes that  _ I’m  _ the filthy minded one when you’re like  _ this?” _ Yang groans through a laugh, her eyes narrowing playfully at Blake as she smirks tiredly up at her. 

“Sorry. You’re just… really cute when you’re flustered.” Blake says with an apologetic smile, reaching up to cup Yang’s jaw and melting when Yang catches her hand gently and presses a soft kiss to the inside of her wrist. “You’re beautiful.” She breathes, her breath catching in her chest as Yang glances at her from the corner of her eyes, a smile curling against Blake’s skin as she chuckles softly. 

“You’re not half bad yourself.” Yang murmurs, brushing Blake’s hair back from her face tenderly. A chuckle escapes Yang as Blake yawns, nuzzling into Yang’s hand sleepily. “C’mon. We should go to bed.”

“Cuddle with me?” Blake requests, pouting slightly up at Yang as she lets out a small huff of laughter. 

“I swear you’re, like,  _ addicted  _ to cuddling with me or something, Belladonna.”

“You make me feel safe.” Blake finds herself admitting before she can think better of it, her voice small and vulnerable as Yang blinks down at her in surprise. 

“Oh, now I really can’t say no.” Yang sighs, though Blake can hear that her voice is thick with emotion as she picks Blake up and stands.

“I can walk on my own, you know!”

“Yeah… but I love how blushy you get when I carry you.” Yang teases, winking playfully at Blake as she buries her burning face in Yang’s neck. “Wait… is my making you feel safe... and is that why you steal my clothes?”

“... you have no proof.”

“No proo- Blake! You’ve been stealing my clothes since college!”

“Ugh. Fine. I admit it. I’ve been stealing your clothes since college because they smell like you and make me feel safe. Happy?” Blake grumbles into Yang’s neck, her eyes adjusting to the dark of Yang’s room as she places Blake on the bed and climbs in after her to pull her close, a soft laugh leaving her throat as Blake whines. “Don’t tease me.”

“I’m not teasing. I… just think it’s really cute. I’m glad I make you feel safe.” Yang soothes, kissing Blake’s head sweetly. “And for what it’s worth… if your shirts fit me, I’d probably steal them too.”

Blake pulls back to search Yang’s face for any sign of teasing but instead, she finds a genuine smile and flushed cheeks. Wordlessly, she leans up to kiss her, pulling back to rest their foreheads together with a sigh. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, baby.”

With that, both Blake and Yang close their eyes and fall asleep, soothes by the safety of each other’s arms.


	22. The Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the party arrives and things begin to heat up a little.

A soft smirk, surprised and delighted, curls Blake’s lips as she stares at her reflection. She’d always been proud of her own sensuality, proud of her body, despite Adam’s cutting words. Or maybe her pride in her body had been her own personal way of rebelling against him, even in some small way. Regardless, Blake knew what worked for her, combining more sensual, feminine outfits with a masculine cut jacket if she felt like dressing up.

Her Halloween costume is no different. The black, long sleeve shirt with a low V-neck that ends just below her breasts is tight enough to maintain her modesty while giving off a dangerously alluring energy. Her black pants, form fitting but not constrictive, and partnered with a thick, black belt, accentuate her legs perfectly while still giving her free range of movement. Leather gloves cover her hands and a sheath complete with rapier sits at her left hip. A black mask made of soft and breathable fabric covers her eyes, making her amber eyes seem to shine like polished gold. A hat, that she had learned is called a “sombrero cordobés”, rests on top of her head, large enough to be comfortable for her cat ears. But it’s the black cape clasped around her neck, resting upon her shoulders that she likes the most. It grants her a certain masculinity that she admires, gives her the illusion of having broader shoulders than she actually does. 

Perhaps that is why, filled with a sudden and playful confidence, she draws her rapier and levels it at her reflection with a grin, feeling perhaps a little  _ too  _ pleased with herself.

“Blake? You ready? I could do with your help with the makeup. That’s… more up your alley.”

“Yeah, coming!” Blake calls back, blushing only slightly at having been interrupted being, as Yang would call her, a dweeb. Sighing, she returns her rapier to its sheath and wanders out to the living room… only to freeze at the sight of Yang standing by the couch, dressed in her costume and waiting for her.

The dress itself is simple, coming to a stop below Yang’s knees and leaving plenty of room for movement. The sleeves rest  _ just  _ off her shoulders, exposing the strong muscles that lay there. A purple pendant rests against her collar, bringing out her eyes beautifully. The bodice hugs Yang’s torso, framing her figure perfectly. Her hair was styled to be even more wild and untamed than it usually was and, when Blake lets her gaze drift downwards, she finds that her mouth runs dry at the sight of the knee length boots her girlfriend wore.

“You look…” Blake says, her voice cracking as a heat begins to settle breath her skin, her fingers twitching as though itching to touch Yang. “I- don’t- I’m-“ She falters, clearing her throat as she steps forward, eyes trailing across Yang’s body eager. “I may have made a mistake picking this one. You make… a  _ beautiful  _ Elena.”

“Oh.” Yang breathes, her face shifting to a dark red as her gaze drifts towards Blake’s chest, her eyes darkening slighting when Blake rests her hand almost lazily on the hilt of her rapier. Her tongue darts out to wet her lips and she shifts her weight slightly, her gaze taking Blake in slowly. “I really want to make fun of you for being such a cheesy dork and making us wear a couple’s costume… but honestly, all I can think about is how I now understand why straight women lose their shit over Zorro.”

“Yeah? You like it?” Blake asks, a small, shy smile slipping into her face as Yang grins goofily at her.

“You look… so hot.” Yang sighs, as her teeth tug at her bottom lip distractedly. “Can we fast forward to the scene where Zorro tears Elena’s dress off? Because I’d be cool with that.”

“Behave.” Blake chides, rolling her eyes and biting back a smirk. “Where’s your rapier?”

“Well, unlike you, I don’t get a holster or whatever so I have to carry it. I… think I left in my room. I bet I could kick your ass in a real-“

Playfully, Blake pulls out her rapier and presses the plastic tip teasing under Yang’s jaw, delight flooding her stomach as Yang’s blush grows darker, her throat bobbing in a hard swallow. “So… that means that you're defenceless… at my mercy… such a  _ poor  _ fate for a noble woman, don’t you think?” Blake purrs, surprising herself  _ and  _ Yang, who’s breathing quickens ever so slightly. “Whatever will I do with you?”

“Anything you want.” Yang breathes, her voice hitching as Blake smirks slyly at her. 

“Anything?”

“ _ Any _ thing.”

“Then… I think I’ll do your makeup.” Blake says abruptly, turning on her heel and heading back to her room for her makeup bag. “It’s your sister’s birthday party and we don’t want to be late now, do we?”

“ _ Blaaaaaaake!” _ The frustrated, laughing groan calls after her, making her hide her giggle with her hand. “You’re gonna be the death of me!”

As Blake gathers her makeup, she wonders if Yang has  _ any  _ idea how badly affected she makes Blake in turn. 

* * *

“Oh my gosh! You guys look awesome!”

Blake snorts a laugh as Ruby stares at her and Yang in awe, the fake fur of her werewolf costume shifting as she bounces excitedly in place. “Happy birthday, hun.” She murmurs affectionately, giving her friend a tight hug and earning a dramatic plea for oxygen. “What’s Weiss dressed as? Your willing victim?”

“No. She’s dressed as a paladin. Something about being her own knight?”

“Figures.”

Blake exchanges an amused look with Yang as they say it at the same time, cheeks flushing as Ruby stares dryly at them. “Oh boy. It begins.” The younger woman mutters fondly, a teasing smirk crossing her features. “Just so you know… bedrooms are off limits because Nora and Ren mentally scarred Weiss at our last party so…”

“I will gladly stab anyone caught canoodling in my house.” Weiss says as she enters the kitchen and glowers at Blake and Yang pointedly. “Do I make myself clear?”

“You know, Blake… If Weiss’s heart didn’t already belong to Penny and Weiss, I’d suggest we invite her to join us.” Yang drawls, slinging her rapier over her shoulder as she smirks at Weiss, who freezes like a deer caught in headlights. “She’s kinda cute when she’s mad.”

“She’s also very competitive. I imagine that translates well to the bed-“

“I will not hesitate to kill you both.”

“Weiss, if you wanted to kill them, you would have done so by now.” Ruby says with a snort before turning to Blake and Yang with a playful glare. “Please stop terrorising my girlfriend.”

“Blake! It is so good to see you again!”

Blake wheezes as a heavy weight collides into her, lifting her off of her feet and squeezing her tightly. “Hi, Penny. Love you too.” She gasps out when Penny, dressed as Wonder Woman, places her back on her feet and gives her a serious look. “What-“

“Blake. You are like the sister I never had and I would very much like you to know that the idea of somebody hurting you gives me personal feelings. If you ever need me, please call me.” Penny says seriously, taking Blake’s hands in her own and gazing up at her earnestly before giving Yang an apologetic glance. “No offence intended, Yang. You are already going to be my sister when I marry Ruby and Weiss, after all.”

The sound of two high pitched squeaks shifting into flustered wheezing draws their attention and Blake arches a brow, her lips curling into a smirk as Ruby and Weiss stumble over their words, their faces tinting a dark red as they try to formulate a response.

“Now… There are drinks in the fridge and food on the counter. Help yourselves and enjoy the party!”

Blake snorts as Yang takes her hands and leads her away, a fond simper crossing her lips.

Some things never changed.

* * *

Blake slips into an upstairs hallway with a groan, her ears pinning against her head beneath her hat painfully. The combination of experiencing a  _ slight  _ buzz and her ears being particularly sensitive to the low bass of Ruby’s favourite music was not a good one to say the least.

“Blake? You okay?”

Blake glances up, a small smile tugging at her lips as Yang comes to a stop in front of her, lilac eyes shining with concern. “I’m okay, Yang. I just need a moment.”

“I’m sorry. I can tell the others to turn it down-“

“No, don’t be silly. It’s quiet up here and the party is starting to wind down anyway. I’ll be fine.” Blake says softly, humming happily as Yang steps closer to her and curls her hands around her waist, her thumbs stroking her sides gently. She sighs softly and reaches up to tuck Yang’s hair behind her ear before cupping her jaw and leaning in for what she had  _ planned  _ to be a short kiss. But alas, when Yang nips gently at her bottom lip with a teasing laugh, Blake finds herself stepping towards Yang and pushing her against the opposite wall, pressing shaky kisses along her jaw and down her neck to her bare shoulder. 

“ _ Shit.”  _ Yang hisses, her pulse jumping against Blake’s lips. “Pretty sure this counts as breaking Weiss’s rules, Blake.” She scolds weakly, even as her fingers find their way into the long hair pooling out beneath Blake’s hat. 

“I never did like following the rules.” Blake murmurs, trailing her way back up to Yang’s mouth with a smirk, delighting in the way Yang’s breath shudders against her mouth. “And I  _ know  _ how much you like a thrill… unless you’d rather go home?”

“Home- Yeah, home sounds good.” Yang says, pulling back to look at Blake’s face, her expression shifting to one of concern once more. “Are you- are you sure?”

“I’m positive.”

The journey home is, admittedly, made all the more difficult by both women refusing to let go of each other’s hands, distracting each other with coy murmurs and soft touches with promises of  _ more. _ By the time they stumble into Yang’s bedroom, muttering a cautious “are you sure?” and an enthusiastic “yes” into each other’s mouths, Blake finds herself taking the lead and guiding Yang into her back, pausing to gaze adoringly down at her before kissing her softly as Yang pulls her impossibly close, her hands drifting to the belt around Blake’s waist, pausing to look up at her for permission.

“Do it.” Blake breathes and just like that, Yang tears her free.

* * *

The morning after, Blake awakes to a warm weight pressed against her front and she blinks open her eyes, flushing at the sigh of Yang’s bare back in front of her. As the memories of the night before come flooding back, she leans forward to bury her face in Yang’s hair, hiding her foolish, giddy grin before leaning down to kiss her girlfriend’s shoulder, pressing her lips against the constellation of freckles that called her skin home.

“You’re so beautiful.” She murmurs, moving to kiss just behind Yang’s ear before slipping out of bed and putting on one of Yang’s shirts. She stretches, yawning, and grabs her scroll from the pocket of her carelessly discarded pants before wandering down to the kitchen to start her tea in a blissful haze. As she’s waiting for the kettle to boil, she hears her scroll beep and frowns at the unfamiliar number on her screen. When she opens the messages from diss number, she feels a cold, horrifying chill take a hold of her heart and squeeze violently.

There are twenty or so messages; each one a photo of her and Yang. Photos that neither she nor Yang didn’t take. Photos that she  _ knows  _ their friends didn’t secretly take. Photos of their first date, with her and Yang leaning over the table and kissing. Photos of them leaving a bookstore with hands entwined and infatuated smiles upon their faces as they gaze at one another. Photos of them walking through a park with locked arms. And, perhaps most terrifyingly, photos of them leaving a Halloween party dressed in the costumes scattered across Yang’s bedroom floor.

“ _ Nooo.”  _ She moans low and painfully in her throat, her free hand flying to her mouth as her eyes well up with tears. 

Another message pops up… only this one is a simple photo of a house…  _ their  _ house.  _ Their safe place _ . Seconds later, another message pops up.

_ I told you I’d find you, my love. _

Blake feels her body start to tremble violently, her breath coming in short gasps as the three dots indicating that whoever was one the other end was typing mocked her cruelling.

_ Now only one question remains… _

_ Will you stay and put everything you love at risk… or will you run like the coward we both know you are? _

The kettle screams and Blake sinks to the floor, muffling a terrified scream of her own. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the closest thing to explicit/smut y’all are ever going to get from me.


	23. Dagger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which decisions are made.

A soft groan leaves Yang’s lips as she sits up, wincing as a pleasant ache runs through her body. She glances to her side, rolling her eyes fondly as she realises that Blake must have already woken up to get to work. She sighs, biting her lips as memories from the night before come flooding back and she feels her cheeks burn.

“God, as if I couldn’t fall harder for her.” Yang mumbles, standing and stretching lazily as she wanders over to her closet and throws an old shirt over her head, pausing to raise her eyebrows at the marks that Blake had left on her skin the night before. “Holy shit, Blake.” Yang chuckles to herself, her fingers grazing a particularly large hickey on her neck. “Not that I’m complaining.”

Grinning foolishly, she leaves her room and pauses at the sight of Blake open door, frowning slightly at the sound of what sounds suspiciously like whimpering coming from within. Hesitantly, she enters and feels something prepare to crack inside her chest as she watches Blake throwing clothes onto her bed, an open suitcase next to them. “Blake?” She calls, soft and hesitant as Blake freezes, her ears pressing flat against her head as a shudder courses through her body. “What- what’s going on?” She asks, her throat feeling much too tight. 

“I have to go.” Blake says, refusing to look at her. “I can’t- I can’t stay. I have to go.”

“Go? Go  _ where _ ? I don’t- I don’t understand.” Yang says with a breaking voice, anxiety welling up in her chest as she moves slowly to stand beside Blake. “Blake, baby,  _ please talk to me.  _ Did- did I do something wrong? Do you- do you regret what happened-“

“Of course not.” Blake says, her voice pitching as her hands grip tightly at a shirt. Her breathing is coming sharp and fast, her eyes wide with fear. “I just- I can’t be here. It’s not safe. I-“

“Not safe- shit. Did Adam message you?” Yang asks shakily, her brow furrowing as Blake flinches, her body going rigid. “Blake, you don’t have to go. You can stay. You’re safe-“

“It’s not  _ me _ I’m worried about, Yang.” Blake says sharply, turning to Yang with a distressed expression, tears gathering in her eyes. “Adam knows how much you all mean to me. He knows about  _ us. _ He’s been  _ stalking me! _ If I stay, I’m putting you at risk. I can’t- I  _ can’t do that to you.” _

“I’m willing to take that risk.”

“Okay… but what about the others?” Blake says weakly, her body shaking violently as she pointed glances at a group photo of them on a nearby wall. Ruby is getting a piggyback from Yang, with Penny getting one from Blake. Weiss is standing in the middle looking exasperated as ever, despite the warm smile in her eyes. “Are you willing to put them at risk for me? Because I’m not, Yang!”

“We could stop-“

“You don’t know Adam like I do.” Blake says, her voice low as she brings her shirt up to her chest and clenches it tightly, her expression tight with pain. “He’ll do whatever he can to hurt me… and he knows the best way to do that is through what… or rather  _ who  _ I love.”

“So… what? You just keep running so he doesn’t catch you? Keep him on your tail so he can’t touch us? What’s your plan here, Blake?” Yang says, fear and heartache sharpening her words. Remorse twists her heart as Blake recoils, stepping back from Yang and averting her gaze. “Baby, look at me.” Yang murmurs, softening her voice as she gently curls her finger under Blake’s chin and slowly guides her head up to meet her gaze. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

“I can’t put you at risk.” Blake whispers brokenly, closing her eyes and… almost seeming to brace herself. Her jaw is set, her body tense, almost as though she instinctively expects backlash.

Backlash that Yang would never even  _ think _ of giving her. “Fine.” Yang sighs, swallowing past the lump in her throat as tears enter her eyes. “Okay. If you want to leave… if you  _ really  _ want to leave because you think it’s the right choice to make… I won’t stop you.”

“Wha-What?” Blake stutters, glancing up at Yang in shock, eyes wide as she searches her eyes for something. “You’re not mad?”

“Oh, I’m mad, alright. But not at you.” Yang forces herself to speak calmly, her breathing shaky and uneven as she looks at the woman she loves trembling with fear in front of her. “I don’t agree with you. But… but it’s your choice and I would  _ never  _ take that away from you. I don’t- I don’t want you to go.” Her voice breaks and she chokes on a sob, tears spilling from her eyes as Blake stares at her. “But I’m sure as hell not going to  _ force  _ you to stay. That’s not- I’m not- that’s not me.” 

“Yang… I’m sorry.” Blake manages to get out around a sob and Yang can’t hold herself back anymore. She steps forward and catches Blake by her jaw, keeping her touch gentle and soft enough for Blake to break away if she needs to. 

“Me too.” She breathes, pressing their foreheads together as tears spill down their faces. A shudder runs through her body as Blake’s hands drop her shirt and cling to her hips, pulling Yang closer as they cry. 

After their tears have dried, Yang sniffs and turns to help Blake pack, as heartbreaking as it was for them both. This was Blake’s decision… a decision that she could see was hurting Blake as much as it was her. But forcing Blake to stay wasn’t something she had the heart to do. Not when so many of her choices had been dictated by Adam for so long.

“Wait.” Yang murmurs, placing a hand on Blake’s shoulder to stop her from zipping up her suitcase. She’s quick to run and grab the hoodie she knows Blake loves and hands it to her with a shaky breath. “I know how much you love this one so… take it with you. So you always have a way to look back and remember me.”

“As if I could ever forget you.” Blake sniffs, and Yang spots one of the ornate daggers she had bought her in a side pocket of the suitcase… the one decorated with the dragon head. 

“Just so you know… you’ll always have a safe place with me, baby.” Yang says, her voice breaking as Blake takes the hoodie and buries her face in it with a small sob. “You can… you can always come back, okay?”

“Okay.” Blake whispers, her voice breaking as she raises a hand and hesitates, her gaze unsure. Yang swallows thickly and takes it gently, pressing it against her cheek with a shaky exhale as Blake breathes in sharply. “I… have to go.”

_ You don’t.  _ Yang wants to say. She wants to cry and beg and plead… but again, she finds herself not wanting to force Blake to stay. She wouldn’t be like Adam, trapping her and manipulating her. 

“Okay.” Is what she says instead, leaning down to kiss her one last time before Blake pulls away with tears in her eyes and takes her suitcase in her hand and leaves, casting one last miserable look at Yang before disappearing.

Yang waits until Blake’s car is gone to truly break down. She collapses amongst Blake’s sheets, inhaling her lingering scent and trying to believe that a miracle would strike and she would return…

But she couldn’t bring herself to believe that Blake would walk through that open door and be with her forevermore. 

* * *

It’s late at night when Yang awakes again, jumping to her feet at the sound of glass breaking. Carefully, she makes her way to the living room and freezes at the sight of a tall man with red and brown hair to match the red horns curling back over his head. His blue eyes bore into her, freezing her to the spot as he grins.

“Sunny Lil Dragon… or should I call you Yang?” He says almost conversationally, casually tapping the antique, bull shaped dagger in his hand against his hip. He steps forward and Yang retreats a step, eyes narrowing as he smirks. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. Your videos as of late have been… educational. Is NightShade around?”

Yang flinches, and he grins, a perverted version of delight lighting up his face. “Adam, I presume?” Yang says stiffly, clenching her hands into fists as Adam nods almost arrogantly. This man…  _ he  _ was what had made Blake run. She inhales slowly and squares her shoulders up, lifting her chin to stare at him defiantly. “She’s not here so you might as well fuck off before I call the cops.”

“Hm… see… Here's the thing, Yang. I think that you’re the best one to help bring Blake back to me.” Adam drawls, pulling out his scroll and taking a photo of a stunned Yang and clicking the screen. “Blake’s an interesting person. Loyal until her cowardly nature decides to show itself. It showed itself when she left me… so I think it’s time to see if it’ll show itself again tonight.”

“Oh, fuck you.” Yang breathes, her eyes going wide with horror as she realises that she’s a pawn in his sick little game. “You picked the wrong woman to stalk, you  _ sick  _ bastard.” She growls, a chill creeping down her spine as Adam readjusts the dagger in his grip with a low chuckle.

“I think I’m going to enjoy this… watching her face as she comes back to the place she called home and safety to find you bleeding out like a stuck pig.” Adam cracks his neck and steps forward, a mad expression crossing his features. “It’s time she got what she deserves for leaving me. She always-“

What she always, Yang never got to hear because she sends the coffee table into his face and watches as blood pools beneath his nose, falling down and staining the hardwood floor.

“Do you always monologue like a poorly written villain in a fanfiction or is this just a special occasion?” She taunts, glancing at his body and searching for a weak point. He’s strong, obviously more so than even her. With a blade in his hand, she didn’t stand a chance. Not when he was running on pure spite like this. She had to even the playing field. “But hey, if you really want me… you’re going to have to catch me first.”

A low snarl erupts from his throat as Yang bolts for her room and climbs out of her window to climb up to the rooftop, gritting her teeth as she climbs to her feet and turns to face Adam with a smirk as he wobbles on unsure legs. She stands, far more used to extremes than he seems to be.

“Clever girl.” Adam sneers, twirling his blade in a manner that seems far too cocky for Yang’s liking. “But you’ll still die tonight, Yang. I’m afraid that’s the consequence of loving Blake. You’ll only get hurt… which is why I need to stop her before she hurts anyone else.”

“... seriously?” Yang huffs, ducking under a swing of the blade and backing up as Adam charges at her. “The fuck kinda hero complex do you have, man? How the  _ fuck  _ can you be so wrong about her?”

“She’s lower than dirt! She broke the promise she made to me!”

Yang grunts as the next swing just barely misses her chest, her eyes watching as Adam’s feet scrabble for purchase on the shingles of their roof. “I don’t think those promises count if they were made to a  _ fucking mask!”  _ Yang spits furiously, twisting and slamming her feet against his jaw in a violent sidekick that forces him back several paces. She tilts her head as the roar of a car engine is heard in the distance and l, for just a second, she glances towards the sound in a panic, terrified at the prospect of it being Blake.

“ARGH!”

But that split second is all it takes for Adam to surge forward and send his blade into her shoulder. She stumbles back, losing her balance and falling off the side of their house, her left hand flying out to grab at the gutter. She hisses in pain, glaring up furiously at Adam as the man towers over her.

“You know… I almost feel pity for you.” Yang grunts, smirking as Adam’s mask of victory falters. “You never loved her. You  _ owned  _ her and that’s a fucking shame.”

“And why’s that?” Adam growls, his eyes locked onto Yang’s, barely responding to the sound of a car door slamming shut.

_ Keep him talking. Keep him busy. _

“Blake’s extraordinary. She’s beautiful and smart. She’s strong and brave, funny and a huge dork. She has so many layers, Adam. She’s the gift that keeps on giving. I don’t regret loving her.” Yang says with a sharp grin, watching as Adam’s footing slips. “Because caring for Blake Belladonna is one of the most beautiful decisions I’ve ever made.”

“Then you’re as stupid as she is-“

A dark blur throws itself onto Adam’s back, as a flash of gold strikes the crook of his neck. Yang looks up, wide eyed, at the sight of a familiar dragon shaped dagger poking out of Adam’s neck and without thinking, as he knocks Blake onto her back in the rooftop, Yang reaches up with her damaged arm and grabs his belt, tugging violently and sending him over the room and to the floor with a scream.

“Yang!”

Yang glances up, laughing tearfully as Blake grabs her and pulls her up to the roof and presses her hand against Yang’s wound, tears falling down her face as she whimpers. 

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! This is all my fault. If I had stayed or-“

“Stop.” Yang soothes, cupping Blake’s jaw and bringing her down to press their foreheads together, her heart breaking as Blake’s sobs fill the air. “You are not responsible for his actions. Okay? He used me as a pawn to draw you out. I’d rather he do that than chase you down.”

“But-“

“Blake… you’re a victim too.” Yang says firmly, brushing away Blake’s tears as she sniffs, her body trembling. 

“I’m sorry I left.”

“You came back.” Yang murmurs, kissing Blake’s mouth softly. “That’s all that matters, baby.”

“Okay.” Blake says, inhaling shakily before using her free hand to reach for her pocket. “I’m just- we need to get an ambulance for you and- and probably the police.”

“Yeah, probably.” Yang mutters, wincing as her wound pulls. “Sorry about your dagger. I know it was your favourite.”

“... Yang. You’re bleeding out on our fucking roof. Fuck the dagger.”

Yang closes her eyes as Blake talks into her scroll with a shaky voice, though her eyes are sharp with that certain spirit that Yang had fallen in love with. Blake was back. Adam was, presumably, gone everything was okay…

And with that thought bumping around in her hazy head, Yang feels her vision swim before she blacks out, oblivious to the distressed yelling of her name as Blake tries to keep her awake.


	24. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we see how Blake recovers from the latest ordeal.

“Ma’am? Ma’am, the paramedics are on the way. Keep pressure on the wound and try to remain calm, okay? Keep talking to me, sweetie. Can you do that?”

“Ah- ye-Yeah. I can- I can do that.” Blake stammers out around a sob, pressing her hands firmly against Yang’s bleeding shoulder, her breaths coming in short, sharp gasps. 

“Good girl. Tell me… is your girlfriend breathing?” The operator asks with a gentle firmness that Blake finds surprisingly grounding. 

“Yes but she’s- she’s not awake. I don’t-“ a whimper escapes her, as she glances at her scroll sitting on the roof, call on loud speaker. “I can’t lose her!”

“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen, baby girl. Just breath for me.” The woman soothes softly, her voice tender as Blake lets out another sob. 

A high pitch cry of a siren calls and Blake glances up to stare in shock at the sight of an approaching police car and she glances at the scroll. “The police are here. That was fast.” She says blankly, shock slowly starting to take over from the fight with Adam. 

“I… was just about to put in the call. How are they- never mind. They can help you now, okay? You’re going to be fine, Blake. Both of you.”

“Okay.” Blake whispers, closing her eyes tightly as something wet lands on her ear. She inhales, her breathing ragged, and calls out as car doors slam shut. “Help! We’re on the roof! Please-“ her voice cuts off as a shudder runs through her, her ears pinning back as a surprised curse leaves a man’s throat. “Please don’t leave me.” She whispers, tears spilling from her eyes as the rain grows heavier. She leans forward, pressing her forehead to Yang’s as the man shouts for a ladder and keeps a steady pressure on her wound as a second set of sirens sound in the distance. “I can’t- I  _ need  _ you, baby.” 

She hates letting go of Yang but two officers gently pull her away as the paramedics rush to stabilise Yang, coming up with an action plan so quickly that Blake feels her head spin. She feels her throat close up and she falls to her knees, ignoring the concerned voice of the officers as she cries, pain and fear leaving her throat in strangled gasps. 

When they finally place Yang in the back of the ambulance, Blake refuses to leave her side and the paramedics merely offer a comforting smile before getting back to work.

* * *

“Hey, kiddo.”

Blake jumps to her feet, her tired gaze falling away as she places herself in between Yang and the door, body tense until she recognises Taiyang Xiao Long standing there with his hands full with two cups of hot drink.

“Tai- I’m so sorry.” Blake stutters, her ears pinning back against her head at the sight of pain in the older man’s eyes. “This is all my fault-“

“Nope.” Tai says, popping the p as he places the drinks down on a table at the foot of Yang’s bed. “Sorry, Blake. If you think I’m gonna let you do the whole “misplaced blame” thing, you got another thing coming.” He approaches her, stopping at a respectful distance and lets out a soft sigh. “Look, I know you’re going through a lot and I know it’d be better to get a hug from your own parents… but maybe I can offer one of mine?” He asks with a lopsided grin that reminds Blake so much of the woman laying unconscious in the hospital bed. 

Tai, Blake realises, isn’t wrong. There’s a part of her that  _ wishes  _ her mother and father could sweep her up into their arms. To soothe her and tell it’s going to be okay. So, with tears filling her eyes, she nods and Tai steps forward to curl his arms around her, gently cupping the back of her head as she cries into his shoulder, his voice murmuring soft reassurances that remind her of her own parents. Eventually, she pulls back and nods, exhaling shakily as Tai steps back and passes her a cup of coffee.

“So… what’s the news on our girl?” Tai asks quietly, frowning slightly. “The staff here are a little busy, y’know?”

“She, um… she lost a lot of blo-blood.” Blake murmurs, sinking into her seat and curling her hands around her coffee. She looks up and watches as Tai sinks into a seat on the other side of Yang, his gaze soft and worried as he looks at his eldest child. “They stitched up the wound and gave her a blood transfusion. She- they said she’s going to be okay.”

“And the bastard that did this to her?”

“Dead. The police took a statement.” Blake says, biting her lip as a wave of nausea floods her. “I gave them all of the evidence I had. They- the cop that questioned me told me that since our lives were clearly threatened, it’ll be put down to self defence.”

“Good.” Tai sighs softly and glances at Blake with a small smile. “Good thing we had that security system set up. The cops were alerted as soon as he broke that window.”

“Yeah. We’re going to have to get that fixed… I mean… if she still wants me to stay-“

“You’re funny.” Tai snorts, rolling his eyes with a tired huff of laughter. “Blake, of  _ course  _ she wants you. You’re not to blame here. Okay?”

“But I- Okay. Thanks, Tai.”

“I mean… you could always just say “Thanks, dad.” Tai teases, smirking slightly. “We all know how this gonna end anyway.”

“Blake!”

Blake grunts as a blur of red flies into the room, cutting off any protest she might have made. She holds her coffee away from her as Ruby hugs her tightly before letting go and turning to Yang, silver eyes brimming with tears. 

“Hey.” Blake murmured, reaching out and taking Ruby’s hand gently, smiling up at her weakly as Ruby turns to her. “She’s going to be okay.”

“Thanks to you.” Ruby sniffs, smiling softly at Blake as she squeezes Blake’s fingers. “Thank you, Blake.”

It’s gratitude that she doesn’t believe she deserves. Instead, she clears her throat roughly and leaves the room, smiling politely as Qrow Branwen passes her and pats her shoulder once. She wants to give the family room to sit with Yang but, much to her surprise, she finds herself face to face with Penny and Weiss. Neither say a word, somehow sensing that she doesn’t want to talk.

But they do lead her to a set of chairs and sit her in between them, holding her gently and pressing their heads against hers softly. 

It takes Blake a moment but as she inhales deeply, she finds herself closing her eyes and letting her friends, her family, comfort her silently.

* * *

A soft groan alerts Blake, who had refused to be chased from Yang’s room much to the exasperation of the old nurse who quickly gave up on corralling Blake, and she sits up straight, her heart racing as Yang groggily opens her eyes and, upon seeing Blake, smiles.

“Hey.” Yang croaks, blinking slowly at Blake as she gets her bearing. “You come here often, gorgeous?”

“You ass.” Blake laughs, tears falling from her face as she takes Yang’s left hand and gently presses her lips to the back of it shakily, inhaling deeply as Yang tightens her grip gently. “God, you’re okay. Thank  _ God _ you’re okay.”

“Yep. Though I could do with some drugs because my shoulder is  _ killing  _ me.” Yang groans, her gaze softening at the sight of tears on Blake’s face. “Oh, baby.” She breathes, tears entering her own eyes. “C’mere.”

Blake hesitated but when Yang pulls on her hand gently, a pleading expression entering her eyes, Blake doesn’t have the heart to refuse her. She climbs in beside her, resting her head over Yang’s heart and listening to the sound of it beating underneath her ear as Yang curls an arm around her shoulders, her fingers playing tiredly with Blake’s hair.

Blake feels her tears flow faster when Yang, despite her rough voice, starts gently singing to her, safety and love flooding Blake’s chest just as it always does when Yang sings to her...

And that’s how Blake knows she’s back home.

* * *

Healing for both women takes a long time. Yang’s shoulder heals slowly but surely, with Blake glaring sharply at her when she tries to lift something she very much should  _ not  _ be lifting. Blake slowly begins to accept the soft affirmations her girlfriend whispers into her ear when her demons grow louder. They both learn not to jump at shadows, though the sound of glass breaking still has Yang reaching for her baseball bat and Yang learns not to be so nervous whenever Blake disappears.

It takes time. But they work through it together.

“Hey, Yang?” Blake murmurs softly, late one morning as Yang rests on top of her in Blake’s bed. She smiles, endeared by the way Yang raises her head to look at her with a tired grin. “I thinking about getting back into video making again.”

“Yeah?” Yang asks, her grin shifting into a soft smile as she leans up to kiss Blake softly, lingeringly, before pulling back and bracing her elbows by Blake’s head, gazing down at her adoringly. “That’s great… if you think you’re ready, baby.”

“I am.” Blake confirms, reaching up to run a hand through Yang’s hair and sighing as Yang nudges agaisnt her hand happily. “And I was kind of hoping that maybe… you would want to join me for it? If that’s okay?”

“Of course.” Yang murmurs, nuzzling Blake’s nose sweetly and smiling when she giggles lightly. “God, you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you laugh.” She whispers, kissing Blake’s smile and sighing into her mouth. “How much joy I get  _ just _ from making you happy.”

“Yang, why do I feel like this is leading up to something?”

“You’ll find out this afternoon.” Yang teases, dropping back down to bury her face in Blake’s neck. “But for now… I want you to hold me.” She whines, pouting against Blake’s neck as she snorts a small laugh.

“For you? Anything.” Blake breathes, kissing Yang’s temple and holding her tightly, smiling as her girlfriend presses sweet, chaste kisses againts her neck.

Blake doesn’t particularly relish surprises… but when it comes to Yang? Her trust in Yang wins out every single time.

Yang would never do anything to scare her.

* * *

“Yang, baby. Why is there a big ass box on my kitchen table?”

“ _ Our  _ kitchen table. I pay half the rent, babe.” Yang laughs softly, earning a playfully swat to her ass as Blake passes by her and looks at the box suspiciously. “Look, just open it. It won’t bite… probably.”

“ _ Probably?! _ ” Blake says, snapping her up to glare at Yang. “What the hell?!”

“Just open it.”

“I’m not going to open it.”

“Please?”

“You  _ just  _ said it might bite!”

“Baby.”

Blake groans, moving to place her hands over the flaps of the box and ignoring Yang’s stupidly attractive smirk of victory as she opens the box… and gasps as a black, furry head pokes out with a high pitched mewl of protest. “I repeat…  _ what the hell?!” _ Blake mutters, delight flooding her as a large, black cat climbs out from the box and sits on their table, looking imperiously around at their surroundings. 

“A little bird told me that Shroud missed you.” Yang drawls, stepping closer to Blake and grinning down at her, her eyes twinkling playfully as Blake turns to look at her. “I thought that was a damn shame and… well… she’s all yours.”

Blake pauses, glancing at the cat batting irritably at a piece of fluff caught on her tail before turning to Yang and leaning in to kiss her, humming happily as Yang’s hands find their way to her hips. “I think you mean she’s  _ ours _ .” Blake murmurs against Yang’s lips, giggling as her mouth stretches out into a pleased grin before pulling Blake closer to kiss her.

“Ours.” Yang murmurs back, sighing as Blake’s fingers thread into her hair. “That sounds really nice.”

“It does, doesn’t it?”

But, Blake thinks to herself, there’s something else that will be much nicer to say and she fully intends on saying it…

Just not yet.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. The next chapter should be the last one. If people are interest, I might make a new fic that’s just fluff fic of video challenges because those were a lot of fun to write, though!
> 
> Thoughts?


	25. The Whisper Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Blake finally gets back into filming.

“No! Don’t you fucking dare- get your paw out of my fucking water!”

Blake pauses, smirking lightly at herself in the mirror as Yang’s voice yells out from the kitchen. While the newest addition to the household was an utter baby when it comes to Blake… Shroud seems to have developed a habit of terrorising Yang. A hobby that Blake agrees is  _ extremely  _ fun.

“No- oh, come on! I was drinking that!” Yang cries in dismay, her voice pitching into a whine. “Yeah, that’s it! Go see your mother! Go tell her what you did! I bring you into a loving home and this is the thanks I get? Betrayal!”

Blake hums softly as the soft padding of paws enter her room and turns to the large black cat with a smile as she jumps onto her vanity to mewl loudly at her. “Hey, baby girl.” She coos affectionately, leaning forward to let Shroud butt her head agaisnt her jaw. “Are you being mean to Yang again?” She murmurs, dropping a quick kiss to the top of her cat’s head, chuckling as Shroud rumbles a purr at her before settling down to watch her apply her makeup. “Hopefully you won’t cause problems when we start filming in a bit. I have plans, afterall.” Blake comments, a flutter of nervousness entering her chest. “So no terrorising your other mother while filming, okay?” 

Shroud mewls before yawning and blinking slowly at Blake, a quiet purr rumbling from her chest as Blake reaches over to run a hand down her back.

“Okay. Good girl.” Blake murmurs, her ears twitching at the sound of wood creaking. She turns in her seat, her gaze softening at the sight of Yang leaning against the doorway with a tender smile crossing her features as they make eye contact. “Hey, baby. I’ll be ready in a moment.” Blake says softly, turning back to her mirror as she reaches for her mascara.

“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.” Yang says warmly, approaching Blake and placing a hand over her shoulder as she bends over to fix her hair in the mirror, though her gaze drifts back to Blake with a goofy smile. “You look beautiful.” She sighs, leaning down to kiss Blake’s neck, smiling against her skin as Blake giggles. 

“You’re not half bad yourself.” Blake says, turning to kiss her girlfriend with a pleased hum. “Hm… you’re wearing that Strawberry Sunrise chapstick you stole from me.” She murmurs against her lips, gently swiping her tongue across Yang’s bottom lip before pulling back with a playful grin. “I’m not usually a fan… but when it’s on you-“

“Stop flirting with me. We have a video to shoot and we can’t get distracted.”

“I mean… we could.” Blake chuckles, smirking up at Yang as Yang sighs heavily, fond exasperation lighting up her face. “You’re very good at…  _ distracting me _ .”

“No. Video first because I  _ know  _ you’re gonna leave hickeys again- actually… can we talk about that?” Yang says, snorting a laugh as she wraps her arms over Blake’s shoulders and smirking down at her. “Like… the sheer volume of love bites and hickeys you leave is…  _ insane. _ ”

“I don’t recall you complaining. In fact… you seem to be more inclined to beg for them.” Blake drawls, delight flooding her chest when Yang blushes. “And don’t act like you don’t get all cocky afterwards. You like seeing them. You preen like a fucking peacock.”

“Baseless accusations.” Yang mutters, turning to press her smile to Blake’s temple as Blake reaches up to hold her arms sweetly. “But no. Business before pleasure, babe.”

“Okay, Okay.” Blake giggles, closing her eyes and leaning agaisnt Yang as she kisses her temple with a happy sigh. “I’m ready to film anyway.”

“Great. Let’s go!”

* * *

“As a lot of you know, I took a break for a while because of… some personal stuff going on in my life that I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to talk about on camera. But I’m back.” Blake says to her camera, feeling a strange sense of comfort from getting back into video making. She smiles, easy and lopsided as she continues with a small huff of laughter. “But onto better and brighter things… we’re going to kick things off with a challenge video and I think you all know who’s going to join me.”

“Helloooo!” Yang greets, bounding over the couch and landing on Blake’s right with a grin before curling her arms tightly around Blake and smooshing their cheeks together. “Aw! NightShade is back! We’re reunited and it feels so good!” She sings, giggling as Blake growls playfully.

“You’re the worst.”

“You love me.”

“Unfortunately for my sanity.” Blake mutters, ignoring the nervous fluttering of her heart once more as she turns to the camera, wiggling out of Yang’s hold. “Today, we’re going to be doing the whisper challenge. Yang will be wearing noise cancelling headphones and she has to guess what I’m saying to her.”

“Yep! If y’all like this one, maybe I’ll do one for my channel.” Yang says with a teasing wink towards the camera as she reaches for her headphones. “Alright. Let’s get this bread, y’all.”

“Dork.”

“Hypocrisy!”

* * *

“Salt and pepper.”

“... you’re a leprechaun?”

“No.” Blake snorts, shaking her head as she and Yang stare at each other, Yang’s gaze directed at her lips… though Blake’s sure that her mind is not just focused on the challenge, of the gleam in her eyes is any indication. “Salt and pepper.”

“Salt… and vinegar?” Yang asks, her brows scrunching up as she concentrates carefully, her eyes darting up to Blake’s as she makes a gesture. “I’m close? Uh… salt and pepper?”

Blake grins, nodding and giving Yang a thumbs up. She giggles, hiding her smile as Yang pumps her fist happily, pausing to dance in her spot for a second before nodding once more.

“Okay. Phrase number two of six.” Blake says, holding two fingers and waiting for Yang to nod. “Easy peasy.”

“Oh. Easy peasy.”

“Uh- okay. Yeah. Good job.” Blake says, nodding slowly and giving the camera a surprised look. “She can’t get salt and pepper… but she gets easy peasy.” She says teasingly, smirking when Yang pokes her knee with a pout.

“I know you’re teasing me! Don’t be meeeaaan!”

“Sorry. Next one.” Blake says, holding up three fingers and inhaling nervously as they get closer and closer to the last phrase. “Ready?”

“Ready!”

* * *

By the time they reach the sixth phrase, Yang is three for six and Blake is beginning to feel her nervousness grow, though she doesn’t miss the concerned crease of Yang’s brow as she steadies herself and utters the last phrase, her ears flicking anxiously as her cheeks begin to feel warm.

“I’m in love with you.” She says softly, swallowing thickly as Yang frowns before shaking her head and asking for a repeat. Blake obliges, speaking slowly as Yang watches her lips.

“Um.” Yang says, her eyes widening as her voice shakes slightly. Her hands move to her headphones and she takes them off, her hands trembling slightly as she moves her scroll to the table and turns to face Blake, camera completely forgotten. “I- I don’t… Blake, I-“

“What do you think I was saying?” Blake asks softly, her breath hitching as Yang looks at her, her cheeks flushing brightly.

“Did… you just say that you’re in love with me?” Yang asks, her voice much smaller than Blake could ever remember it being. 

“I did.” Blake says, her heart racing as Yang inhales sharply. “And I am. I love you. You’ve become a part of me. I- you support me in being  _ me,  _ without changing me. Without trying to mould me into what you want. You see me and- and you accept me. Scars and baggage and all.” Blake pauses to blink away tears, sniffling lightly as Yang’s expression softens. “I- I love you, Yang. So,  _ so  _ much. You’re…  _ everything  _ to me and I understand if you’re not there yet but I-“ 

Blake gasps as hands gently frame her face, stunned by soft lips pressing against her own as Yang kisses her. “Fuck.” Yang breaths out agaisnt her lips, her voice shaking. “I love you too, baby. I love you so  _ fucking much. _ ”

Blake onnects their lips time, whimpering as Yang curls her arms around her waist and pulls her close. Blake wraps her arms around Yang’s neck, letting herself fall into this moment with her as they murmur “I love you” repeatedly into each other’s mouths, tears pooling down both of their cheeks as they hold one another tightly.

With her hands gently curling into Yang’s hair, with Yang’s hands on her back and their lips finding each other again and again… Blake knows that theirs is a love that she wants to show off. It’s a love they had fought for. A love that she considers to be true and wonderful and beautiful. It’s a love that she no longer wants to hide.

It’s a love that transcends. A love that she’s sure that, in another time, someone will remember them and the bond they share…

But it was also theirs and theirs alone. And she knows that they’ll protect it with everything they have…  _ together. _


End file.
